steamboat powdercats??

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Permalink Reply by skisteamboat on November 6, 2009 at 10:54am

I highly recommend it! I have enjoyed super days and friends who have skied with them have also had a great time. They have different levels of skiing ability groups so you can feel assured you will not get in over your head ability wise. Powder lessons at the Mountain can be hit or miss depending on what the weather brings but Steamboat Powdercats can almost always fine untracked snow.

Cheers

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Permalink Reply by SteamboatRider on November 6, 2009 at 3:22pm

Agreed, never hear anything but good comments about the Powdercats and as ski said, you're pretty much guaranteed freshies!

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Permalink Reply by Boo Boo on November 12, 2009 at 4:07am

Hi

It is a difficult one.

Powdercats are EXCELLENT: very professional, very well organised, brilliant guides etc. A+ all around - amazing experience.

I am pretty fit (gym 4 times a week and pilates once a week all year round), but fairly short (5'4"), female and a pretty good recreational skier (like you, competent on anything except double blacks and don't really really do any bump/off-piste... but I only ski about 15 days a year at Steamboat and maybe a couple of hours as a warm up at an artificial slope in the UK).

We did a day with the Powdercats, a couple of years ago, and it was very hard work. They supply the skis - proper powder skis (long, thick, wide, heavy planks of skis) - and you need them (you wouldn't go anywhere, just sink, in your own skis). And the year that we did it they had absolutely mega snow fall - on most of the runs it was up to my waist (well I am pretty short...). If you fall over, it can take major amounts of energy to get up and on the move again.

I think that the important thing to remember is that the Guides are "guides" and not "instructors": they will give you tips and advice to keep you moving, but they will not teach you to powder ski (if that makes sense).

So it was one of those "very hard work, yet amazing at the same time" experiences. It certainly helps you to gain confidence (powder, off-piste, trees) when you get back to the resort too.

Did I wish that I was better prepared? Yes. If you have some experience/competence in powder, off-piste and tree skiing before you do Powdercats, then life would be a LOT easier and you would get more out of the experience.

However it is always difficult getting "lessons on powder" (at the resort): depends on the timing of your trip, availability of instructors and whether you are "quick off the mark" (getting a lesson on a powder day) etc.

Hope that helps... Powdercats IS amazing, but you do need to be a competent skier, fit, strong and be able to pick up powder skiing with very little instruction, I think.

Let us know if you go for it and what you think :-)

Boo

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Permalink Reply by Cardiac mike on November 12, 2009 at 3:10pm

ThAt is incredibly helpful--I think I'm up for the challenge, but I need to run it by the rest of our group!!
Thx!!

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Permalink Reply by Cardiac mike on November 12, 2009 at 3:10pm

ThAt is incredibly helpful--I think I'm up for the challenge, but I need to run it by the rest of our group!!
Thx!!

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Permalink Reply by Sturn on November 13, 2009 at 7:43am

If you can ski everything on the ski area except the double blacks then Powdercats should be easy. You may want to take a lesson, either a short private or an advanced group lesson (which is usually only 3 or 4 in the group) before you go. Even if there isn't powder at the resort mtn the instructor can give you excercises and tips that will translate into easier powder skiing. Hope you do it and have a great day!

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