Davos Daily Details:

• Timetable - 9:30 to 4:35
• Area(s) - Jakobshorn
  
• Equipment - Palmer
• Weather - Warm
  
• Visibility - In and out
  
• Snow conditions - Freshly cut pipe, good piste
  
• Company - Tom
  
• Fun factor - Stoked
  

I met Tom for a day-long lesson in the Jakobshorn half pipe.  The warm up ride around was in the fog!  However, we were able to get into the pipe and Tom went straight to work on my technique.  Things to correct: entry from the highest point on the coping, jump start with nose down the wall, hip back and centre stance, pump the wall, let the board run flat on the vert, and just let go!

We stayed at it all day, taking just a few breaks for liquids and lunch, all at the Jatz Hut.  The gloom lifted midday and the light improved enough to allow full practice of the new technique.  By the end of the day I was running good.  I was riding into the pipe from the highest point and pressing the nose on to the vert for the first transfer.  I had the hip back and the weight centred, running up the wall to the coping and letting the board run flat on the vert.  Toe side turns tended to be a little smoother but I was reaching the coping on both side consistently with every turn.  In the last four runs of the day I started to get a little pump on the wall.  There was some tail air here and there and I managed a couple of half flights.

The only thing I didn't do was fully let go. I need to sleep on Tom's instructions and to build on these tomorrow, with a view to getting fully out, soon.

We rode down to meet DS at Bulgun and caught the last lift for a run in a slushy Bolgun pipe.  Boards off, beers on.  Thanks Tom for a top day out.

Davos Daily Details:

• Timetable - 9:15 to 4:00
• Area(s) - Parsenn Jock, Bunda
• Equipment - Palmer
• Weather - Cold, low cloud, light snow
• Visability - Poor, flat light
• Snow conditions - Fair
• Company - DS (couple of runs) 
• Fun factor - Limited

Started the day on Parsenn.  Very poor viz, which meant everything was more effort.  Stayed on the slopes from the Jock, to tricky to try anything more adventourous. The hill was also puntered to hell.  Busiest I've seen it this year.  Still, I'm riding, so this is only a limited complaint.  One edgy run down the village run!

DS joined me at midday - not impressed with the white-out.  We lunched; saved by the schnitzel brot.

We bailed out around 2:00, but I decided to head over to the Bunda, which being low and tree lined was good viz and fair conditions, including limited punters.  Made a number of better runs, mainly switch with sundry 180s and nose-presses.  I then noticed a home-made kicker, which could be reached from the lift!  Good run in, decent run out (so nothing like a George & Michael kicker).  Hit that a few times, which was an unexpected bonus.

Bailed at 4:00, shattered.  Quiet night in...

 

Lazy start, 10:20 on Jakobshorn riding the Allian with tunes.  Solo today - everyone else was too battered!  Bluebird day, more like late March.  Reggee today.

Made my first visit to the snow parc this season.  Conditions were among the best I can remember.  Made good air over the top kicker all day and warmed-up in the half-pipe.  Sessioned the whole hill, riding switch, hitting lips and jibbing 180s of all forms between parc runs.

The pipe was superb.  After a few runs I started to find a little form.  I've certainly ridden better, but several elements of the later runs were encouraging.

Late ride out at 16:15, making it a fairly full-on day.  Lucky 13th.

9:30 start on Jakobshorn for the first time this season.  Bluebird day - just for a change.  Completely cloudless but not warm.  Pistes were slick.

Hooked-up with Patrick, H and Christina.  Spent the early morning ripping around on the Allian.  Then spent a couple of hours instructing H, who made great progress and bought me lunch for my trouble.  As H was taking it slowly, I took the opportunity to jib the hits and ride switch between handing out tips.  I didn't make it to the parc, but still had a decent day of it.  One of the side effects of passing-on tips to another rider is that it makes you reconsider your own style and technique.  So today was a bit of a school day.

After a late lunch, I returned to tearing around until after 4 o-clock.  Another full day of it, albeit slightly less full-on than the previous two.  Treated myself to a new slimline mid-layer ('Burton AK' for kit wonks).

Quiet evening in prospect.

08:00 queue for lift tickets.  First train up the hill.  Clear skys, corduroy under board.  Not a punter in sight.  Welcome to Davos and have a nice day!  It's good to be back.

Quick to test as many old favs as possible.  Nose press on the track round the Jock, 180s on the run to the Haute, boarder-X and kicker, ollies off anything that looks like a lump, light-speed off the Jock in all directions.  All good.  Pretty solid start for first ride of the season.  SurfyMDO's a happy little camper.

Hooked-up with Colin and Doug for a general charge around the Hutte and down to Klosters.

Final charge down to Dorf.  Full eight hours on the hill.  Board off, Seehof beers on.

 

Rode the Palmer for the first time this trip.  Started on the trail to Klosters with Sophia.  Returned to cover Parsenn with H, Patrick and Nicol.  Boarder-X and general fast carving with a little instruction thrown in for good measure.

Met DS at the Hohenweg for pre dismount drinks.  Took the slushy mogul run to the villare for Fondue night.

Started out before ten riding the Allian on Parsenn.  Bluebird sky but cold.  Spent the morning alone with tunes.  Sessioned the Boarder-X for a couple of hours.  The track was in excellent condition, including the final jump.  Linking my runs with 180's and Ollies off any lip and hit I could find.  Stuck to the mountain like glue and had a real blast.

DS joined me early afternoon for more Boarder-X before a charge to Schifer.  The afternoon consisted of fast carving and beer!  We covered all the runs round the Weissfluhjock, including a little crunchy off-piste.  We too the last lift to enable a dismount down the front face.  Fast and sluchy and lost of fun.  All in all another good day on the hill.

Finished with a beer at the base, what else!?

Slightly later start, this time on Jakobshorn riding the Allian in warm bluebird conditions.

The parc posse consisted of DS, Sophia, H and me.  We made good use of the little kicker a ripped round the rest of the hill charging off piste-side lips and hits.  The fun refused to go out of the day.  It mainly consisted of simple riding and larking about, but sometimes that's all it takes.

We downloaded from the midstation and I refused to let the day end, taking four fun and fairly solid runs in a slushy Bolgun pipe.  My first pipe runs of this trip.  Big smile.

Too pleased with the day to feel tired.  Still, board off, brewskis on...

Started the day early in warm conditions with bluebird skys, beautiful!  Riding the Nidy, it was a day for fast carving on piste, but with attention to technique and style.

Spent the day riding with Sophia and H, and together we tore-up Parsenn and the surrounding area.  We covered almost all the marked terrain around the Hutte; down to Schifer and towards Klosters before setting-up a few sessions through the Boarder-X and a speed trial thrown-in for good luck.  Also added some rotations and switch for good measure, in what turned out to be a very technical day.

Clouds attempted to come in: binding straps broke and needed to be replaced.  Skis kept pinging-off and needed a mid session service.  However, nothing was going to darken the day.  We negotiated the kit issues and carried on.  Finishing with a lightning run through the slushy moguls back to the village.

A full-on 7.5 hour day, with very little in the way of pitstops.  Totalled!  Board off, ZZZ's on!!!

First day back on snow.  Very cold with poor viz but with sensational snow, best this season; fields of untracked powder and smooth pistes - luuvly.

Rode the Nidecker 160 for the first time in about five years.  Perfect for the good off-piste conditions.  I'd forgotten what a good board it is.

Coasted over Parsenn and down to Klosters.  Headed up Madrisa for the first time.  Snow was wonderful, and hardly a soul around.  Took a couple of runs to warm up and properly reacquaint myself with the old board.  In a fit of enthusiasm I headed off-piste in the huge expance that is Madrisa between the two main lifts on the front face.  Decent ride.  The show supported perfectly and the gradient was gentle enough to enable the pace to drop so that I could just take it all in.  All good trails come to an end.  This one ended in a nasty steep drop into a couloire - hmm!  The next section was not my best.  Some of the moves were pure adrenalin and all was going well; then there was an unexpected compression, splash, tomokawk, rag-doll, splash.  No harm done.  Speeds were low and I was able to regain control and ride out.

Met Dave and clients for lunch before taking one last run from the very top.  Decent descent.  Good way to finish the day.  Very tired but happy and in one piece.  The kit all worked.  The board was a triumph and the camel bak was a revelation.  Looking forward to tomorrow.

Celebrated super first day with some retail therapy - new Peak Performance hoodie, in orange.  Last one they had.  Retired for a bath and early cot.

 

The Ettinger boyz did their stuff with the Palmer, handing it back in superb condition.  I swaped it for the Allian.  Interesting to see if they are able to effect a reliable repair to this trashy stick!

Spent a good morning riding a fog-bound front face of Parsenn.  Timidly at first before building to a couple of rapid runs when the light lifted just before lunch.

Lunched with George half way uo the hill, before going on to ride the back of the mountain towards Parsenn Hutta, taking a cheeky through the boarder-X, which seems better arranged this season.

Exhausting but very enjoyable first full day.

Board off, beers on!

Woke to discover significant overnight snowfall and Davos in a thick cloud.

Took Ian to Jakobshorn.  Conditions under board were superb.  Sadly, the visibility was all bust zero.  Spent the morning jibbing 180s off moguls on piste, riding switch and coasting into the freshies between the runs.

Dave joined us at lunch.  Snowed-in for an hour or so in a bar at the top of the hill.  Returned to ride floating on a cloud of beer at 2,500m.

Light lifted, a little.  Shot a few runs through the park.  Pipe was in good condition.  Camera call was enough to encourage me back onto the Fun-Box that was the scene of my undoing last week!  Needless to say, the journey was uneventful.  Disappointed the photo was out of focus, doh!  Still, I'm back on the box.

Quiet night in prospect.  However, may be tempted to try a sun dance!

Snowy skies, poor viz but good slope conditions.

Started the day riding the Jakobshorn park.  Main kicker landing was in a bad way and the light was poor, so I diverted my attention to the box and rails.  First real jibbing this trip.  Went well.  50-50 on each rail was solid, mostly!  Nose slide to fakie on the box was better.  The pipe was a challenge with zero viz.  Real properceptive test.  Felt more confident than I expected to but quit the mountin at lunchtime in a total white-out.

Was about to cave-in.  However, despite the weather, I managed to amuse myself for a couple of hours riding switch, hucking an unofficial kicker and taking tree lines in an underused area close to the appartment.  Had a lot of fun.  The main run was almost empty, consistent in gradient and width, and covered in fresh snow.  Conditions were perfect for experimenting with nose presses and pivots.

All together, a really worthwhile day on the mountain.