Avalanche Research

The obsession with the way we look and, in particular, questioning your weight, until quite recently, was mainly a female affair. Of the magazines aimed at women, many maintain their sales by feeding the almost insatiable appetite for the secrets of being slim. Now it seems men are joining in. I had a talk with the owner of the website Calories and Weight,  and he had some insight into some of these changes going on.

“Just as women have been given the opportunity through the pictures in periodicals to compare themselves with some of the most beautiful female forms, since the advent of men’s magazines in the 1990s, men have been able to do much the same. ” He said.

“The result has been a boom in the sale of grooming products for men and an increased number of men shopping for themselves.”

Here is a story that hits close to home for us. Two years ago almost all of the clientele of John Patrick an expert Skier now a personal fitness trainer, were female. Today roughly half are men and, like their female counterparts, many want to lose weight and tone up. “When they start with me many say they want to lose some fat, add muscle to the chest, shoulders and biceps, and improve stomach definition,” Day said. “They are becoming as concerned with the look of their physique as women have been for years.”

Some Exercises To Get In Shape and Get Ready For Ski Season

EXERCISES: Bench press. Lie on a bench (either flat to target the entire chest or on an incline to target the upper chest) and hold a barbell with your arms straight and hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Lower the bar to mid-chest level, then push back up until your arms are straight. Try to do four to five sets of say, 15, 12, 10, 8 descending repetitions.

Press-ups. Try incline and decline press-ups to target the upper and lower chest respectively. For incline press-ups place your hands on a step and lower the upper body until it is just above the step. For decline press-ups place your feet on the step and lower your upper body to just above floor-level. Try to do two sets of 20 repetitions for each.

Talk to your GP before embarking on a new exercise regime and do not undertake any physical activity if you are feeling unwell or are recovering from an injury.

With the winter coming to an end and ski season wrapping up its final month all you outdoor loving types should be gearing up for summer fun. Most of us who are big skiers also enjoy water sports almost just as much. Each year I recommend taking a big vacation to one of the major summer hot spots in order to quench the thirst for water activities.

This year there are a few places that are not only affordable but also easy to get to. The first place is Florida. Cities like Miami, Sarasota, Ft. Lauderdale all offer great rates and you can easily find big discounts. Just today I came across a website that had a discount on a Florida vacation to either Miami or Orlando when you filled out a quote for renters insurance through their site. You can check it out here: (sorry website is no longer). This is just one example of the type of offers you will find.  Just do a search and I am sure you will find many great packages.

Another great place to for summer fun that many people don’t think of is lake Tahoe. They are known for some of the best lake resort activities as well as a very happening night life. They have great deals for any budget. Those who have a bit more money to spend won’t be disappointed either as there are a lot of high end resorts that cater to a wealthier crowd.

So we kiss the winter good buy but for people like me I welcome the summer with open arms. Hopefully you get to get away this year and have a great time! Seeya on the slopes next winter.

AT LEAST 17 people have been killed and many more injured at the weekend as Europe was hit by some of the worst storms this century. One person died and 30 others were injured when an avalanche crushed a hotel in the Austrian winter resort of Obergurgl. And in Italy, several people are missing after an avalanche hit the small village of Dobbaiaco in the Dolomite mountains.

First reports from Obergurgl said a wall of snow burst through the windows of the hotel swimming pool and dining room as the avalanche pushed parked cars some 30 feet along the road.

In France, eleven people died in a series of incidents, including a man and his 20 – month-old baby who left their car for shelter and were later found frozen to death. In the south east of the country, a state of emergency was declared after snow and gales cut power and telephone lines. In Nice, a man died when he was washed away by high waves. A second man died near Marseilles while trying to secure his boat. A third man died in the same area when a tree fell on his car.

And in Venice, record-high floods have left more than 100 people homeless and caused enormous damage to the city.

In Britain, snow blocked dozens of roads and brought down power lines across the country. Eleven venture scouts were taken to hospital after the van in which they were travelling was blown over and crashed off the M1 in Northamptonshire. Forty motorists had to be rescued by police after they were stranded by drifting snow on the Pennines.

Skiers who venture off officially-designated ski tracks face a serious danger from avalanches, according to alpine rescue groups in Italy, France, Switzerland and Austria, writes Dalbert Hallenstein.

Light early snows in November followed by an almost snowless December, when warm mountain winds created icy conditions, have increased the risk of accidents.

The snowfalls of the past few days have settled on an icy surface unsuitable for holding new snow. The slightest temperature changes could cause an avalanche.

‘People simply do not understand the danger,’ said a member of an alpine rescue squad near Innsbruck.