 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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slikedges, Thanks very much, will hopefully be there this Monday!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| easiski wrote: |
We (and I assume others) are planning, with the Gendarmes, for ski patrollers to be able to remove liftpasses from dangerous skiers next year. this requires some legal finessing I think, but can only be a step in the right direction.  |
Sounds interesting, can you tell us more?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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rob@rar, Happens in Canada & USA already, for speeding on Nursery slopes or skiing on closed runs, etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
| rob@rar, Happens in Canada & USA already, for speeding on Nursery slopes or skiing on closed runs, etc. |
I'd like to see it happen where I ski. Who patrols the slopes? Is it only obvious situations (like speeding on nursery slopes, or skiing on closed pistes) or will it also happen if someone is judged to be skiing dangerously (such as not enough control over high speeds)?
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rob@rar, There are 2 types of ski patrol, those employed locally mainly volunteers and those with national qualification. They are the equivalent of the Pisteurs in France, so responsible for safety on the hill as well as rescue.
If someone is skiing dangerously, I'm sure they do something about it. Whether someone is skiing dangerous is of course far more subjective, than skiing in a closed area or speeding, which is clearly a black & white situation.
There are signs on beginner slopes to warn of lift ticket removal for infringements.
I know in USA there are resorts with radar guns on some slopes and speeding tickets are issued.
In France if you ski on a closed piste, that's a criminal offence isn't it?
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| Spyderman wrote: |
Whether someone is skiing dangerous is of course far more subjective, than skiing in a closed area or speeding, which is clearly a black & white situation.
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I know in USA there are resorts with radar guns on some slopes and speeding tickets are issued.
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In France if you ski on a closed piste, that's a criminal offence isn't it? |
It's the skiing dangerously thing which is a tricky one to police - we all might have slightly different ideas about what is dangerous and what is safe. I certainly wouldn't want to see speed guns used on the piste.
I have no idea if it is a criminal offence to ski on a closed piste in France, but given that there are no rules about backcountry skiing I'd be surprised if skiing on a closed piste was illegal.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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rob@rar, I remember back to the 99/00 season in Val D'Isere when the 3 Mark Warner guests were skiing Face, which was closed because of avalanche risk at the time. They got into trouble and needed rescue, the slope let go as a result. The 3 of them went to jail for a period as well as a big fine, so I'm sure skiing a closed piste must be illegal in France.
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Spyderman, I don't think its specifically skiing a closed piste but more a French law around reckless endangerment. After all a piste might be closed due to poor snow cover but you're only knackering your equipment.
The US situation re speeding tends to be policed only on major confluences and "home runs" particularly at the end of the day. Its not perfect but even if you are totally in control its an incentive to chuck in a couple of extra turns to avoid the hassle of a discussion over whether you were speeding or not. In the US entering a permanent closure or ducking a boundary rope can be against local state or county law e.g. I heard of the sherriff picking up people who've skied the gondola line at Heavenly even though this is not a particularly risky avy area IMV.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I have had 'experience' of MK Snozone several times...
1. Ladies Morning - had a great time, the advertised 'casual instruction' was conspicuous by its absence but the upside was that nobody took any notice how long I'd been there and I got an extra 45 minutes - there were only about 10 of us in the whole place and both lifts were working (which seems to be unusual).
2. Took the kids along after they'd had a weeks lessons on a dry slope in Glasgow. At reception they told that if they fell off the poma they would be kicked out with no refund, explained they more than matched the recreational standard, but hadn't ever used a poma - so wouldn't some leeway be allowed? nope - book them into lessons or risk losing the £75 if you get kicked out. Next available lesson? 4 weeks! Decided not to bother, phoned Hemel - they said come down, we'll show them how to use the poma and if they don't get on with it we will credit the session cost against lessons. In the end, son couldn't get the hang of it, so the manager gave him a 15 minute 1-1 on the training poma and we had a great afternoon once he got it - just don't see that happening in MK do you? Guess which slope we were recommending to our friends when their kids needed to learn to ski??
3. Freebie 1hr go courtesy of some sort of car promotion - great - quiet slopes as a private function, but still didn't get many runs in - maybe 6?
However, I have spent several weekend hours sitting in the bar while kids been at toboganning parties and have sat and counted how many runs the average skier gets in an hour on a Saturday afternoon - answer 4 or 5! I pick one person and count them, or time how long they are in the queue before they get on the poma - and no way would I go there at peak times when the sledging is on. Sometimes the queue for the lift is more than 12mins+!
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You know it makes sense.
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Here we go again. To set the record straight:
1. Ladies Morning is a scheduled shift. It's always covered. Just like anything the only time it might not be is if someone is ill/had an accident etc.
2. Esp when only one drag is on, even one child unable to use it will inconvenience all other slope users considerably as a queue of ginormous proportions builds rapidly. Hence the minimum recreational level expressly states turn/stop under control and use a button drag. That said if a kid (or indeed adult) who otherwise meets rec std finds their way onto the slope, my observation is that a liftie will help if available. They slow the lift down and place the button for the child. Now if everyone was encouraged to come on in and 'ave a go then esp at peak times even with both lifts running the situation would quickly become unmanageable. My kids had pvt lessons at the excellent Hemel dry slope for years. Not such a problem there as it was much quieter, so they could afford to be more flexible.
3. Can't see how you'd only get only 6 runs in an hour when it's quiet. I had lots of runs when I was there this weekend. The slope wasn't very busy and the snow was very good.
People, if you go at peak times, expect a snow dome to be crowded. If you really want to take advantage of a snow dome, find the time to go outside of any school holiday and of the beginning/middle of the ski season. Avoid toboganning sessions (if held on a main slope) and weekends are fine, unless there's a special event on (eg race or freestyle comp).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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slikedges, We had no warning about the toboggoning until they put the fence up. If I'd known, having driven so far, I'd have waited and done my 3 hours later. How do you know when those sessions are if they don't tell you when you go to pay? If you don't know it might happen (it never occurred to me) how would you know to ask?
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Poster: A snowHead
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easiski, I've always felt they should tell you before you pay if a toboganning session overlaps your time, and AFAIK they don't. You can find the times on the website but imo only if you look hard enough.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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slikedges, ~And you have to know they actually exist!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| slikedges wrote: |
| easiski, I've always felt they should tell you before you pay if a toboganning session overlaps your time |
slikedges - I've never been warned.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| slikedges wrote: |
Here we go again. To set the record straight:
1. Ladies Morning is a scheduled shift. It's always covered. Just like anything the only time it might not be is if someone is ill/had an accident etc.
2. Esp when only one drag is on, even one child unable to use it will inconvenience all other slope users considerably as a queue of ginormous proportions builds rapidly. Hence the minimum recreational level expressly states turn/stop under control and use a button drag. That said if a kid (or indeed adult) who otherwise meets rec std finds their way onto the slope, my observation is that a liftie will help if available. They slow the lift down and place the button for the child. Now if everyone was encouraged to come on in and 'ave a go then esp at peak times even with both lifts running the situation would quickly become unmanageable. My kids had pvt lessons at the excellent Hemel dry slope for years. Not such a problem there as it was much quieter, so they could afford to be more flexible.
3. Can't see how you'd only get only 6 runs in an hour when it's quiet. I had lots of runs when I was there this weekend. The slope wasn't very busy and the snow was very good.
People, if you go at peak times, expect a snow dome to be crowded. If you really want to take advantage of a snow dome, find the time to go outside of any school holiday and of the beginning/middle of the ski season. Avoid toboganning sessions (if held on a main slope) and weekends are fine, unless there's a special event on (eg race or freestyle comp). |
I'm sorry, you can't "set the record straight" - on the specific times I went my account is accurate. It may not be representative.
1. There may have been an instructor there at the Ladies Morning - how would I know? didn't see anyone in an official uniform or with a badge? would they not have approached me to ask if I wanted pointers? As I said there wasn't even, for most of the time, anyone manning the lift - hence why I got loads of extra time. I wonder if it was the lady who when I commented that my feet were cold suggested loosening my boots to let the blood circulate? and who laughed when I pointed out I was wearing my spare socks on my hands because I had forgotten gloves (she was the only person I spoke to)
2. I am not saying that they should have given the kids umpteen goes of falling off the button - however, they could have either offered a potential refund if they didn't take to it straight away (which is what Hemel offered on the phone) or they could have offered that at a quiet time they could give them a quick intro (which is what Hemel ended up doing). They offered neither - I was told I would have had to put them into a full lesson which they didn't need apart from the poma bit, and which they couldn't offer in a sensible timeframe. The attitude was very much "tough, you should have had our lessons in the first place"
3. As for only getting 6 runs, there was only one lift available (for some reason I think they alternated which one was running while we were there) and as well as the recreational skiers there were lessons and toboganning going on, and I was with a friend so we were waiting for each other and deliberately trying technique rather than speed. I guess we also only had just under an hour - because I had to drop my kids into the toboganning and finish spot on time in order to get them from it. The slope itself seemed quiet, but there was queueing for the lift which did seem to be running a lot more slowly than it had on the Ladies morning - perhaps it was slowed down due to the lessons? I remember commenting to my friend that it was weird that the queue was so long given how few people seemed to actually be skiing on the main slope.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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FlyingStantoni, I know. That was my point.
| slikedges wrote: |
| easiski, I've always felt they should tell you before you pay if a toboganning session overlaps your time, and AFAIK they don't. |
skimom,
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| It may not be representative. |
Absolutely.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What's AFAIK?
I was there this eve, thankfully I was in group but for others who had paid for on peak skiing they had half a slope free to use, the rest was for sledging. They then had to cut across the race course and ski quickly down the side to get back to the lift.
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CSki, As far as I know
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slikedges, Doesn't look like you'll be selling that third badge yet. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Apologies slikedges - I misread what you said.
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Sledging on the same night as race training seems a bit silly.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spyderman, I know you want one really so I'll cut you a special deal - just don't tell skimottaret 
FlyingStantoni, no worries
beanie1, I'd have to agree
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| CSki wrote: |
What's AFAIK?
I was there this eve, thankfully I was in group but for others who had paid for on peak skiing they had half a slope free to use, the rest was for sledging. They then had to cut across the race course and ski quickly down the side to get back to the lift. |
Yup - that is "representative" of the evening that I went on the promo evening!
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racing and sledging doesnt mix... very dumb whoever decided to have sledging on during race training sessions..
If one side of the slope is closed for whatever reason we wont set a course so that you have to cut across it. I have though seen this happen once where we set a course on the inside nearest to the columns and they then shut the other side for toboganning forcing rec skiers to cut across the course. ARggghhhh,,, words were exchanged on that time. We now check with the duty manager to find out if we can drill and if one side is preferred or will be shut, hopefully eliminating this issue.
This is a slight problem as on tuesday nights we dont like setting courses on the outside of the slopes nearest to the poma's as people get nervous with racers coming down quickly near them on the lifts. So if we set on the inside near the columns people sometimes decide to ski across the course to get to the other poma instead of going all the way to the bottom and skating /poling across.. No one owns the slope and the racers do not have priority but it can be a problem when rec skiers jump into a course midway to have a go themselves.
One point though that race training is on for maybe 5-6 hours a week out of around 90hours of slope time so it shouldnt (although apparently it does) coincide too often.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Wed 25-03-09 10:08; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm intrigued... how do you do race training on such a short slope? when can I come watch...? Tuesday nights?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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skimom, Mon pm 1800-2000 (currently least well attended), Tue pm 1900-2100, Sun 0800-1000 (most well attended). You'll see some seriously good skiers (Brit Childrens Team, English Alpine Team, Jnr GB squad), including some barely half-way through primary school.
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Poster: A snowHead
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slikedges, do you know who runs the Tuesday and Sunday sessions? Monday was great fun, thanks very much for that tip!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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CSki, There are two main guys, Phil Brown and Ross Green who lead a team of 12 or so coaches who work with the club, we generally work with the same age groups to give consistency. Three groups are broken into Minis, children, juniors & senior
check out http://xscaperaceteam.co.uk/ for details.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| slikedges wrote: |
| skimom, Mon pm 1800-2000 (currently least well attended), Tue pm 1900-2100, Sun 0800-1000 (most well attended). You'll see some seriously good skiers (Brit Childrens Team, English Alpine Team, Jnr GB squad), including some barely half-way through primary school. |
I think my daughter ambition to act is expensive to fund... I guess you have to be mega-rich to support a child in those teams at Snozone prices LOL! I can't imagine paying for them to go every week (presumably more than once a week!?)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skimom, a two hour session with top level coaches (and some low level ones ) is £21.50 including slope time. annual membership of the (not for profit )club is £50. How much does it cost to go acting classes, swimming, dancing, etc.....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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CSki, the Mon eve Gravity session is open to the public and run by Glen Greener who is an experienced and highly thought of race coach and instructor. The other Mon eve session plus the Tue eve and Sun am sessions are only open to members of the xscaperaceteam race club, and their coaching team is led by top coaches as skimottaret posted.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Is xscape race team open to oldies? I'd love to be able to go more than once a week. It certainly pushes you on skiing against primary school kids!
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CSki, yep, doesn't discrim against age or disability (though you have to be at least a half decent skier, which you definitely are if you enjoyed the Mon eve session), £50/yr as skimottaret posted just above, then pay for each session attended (need to book sessions you want to attend for the month ahead online by middle of current month), only rule is you must be joining to do races, not just to improve your skiing. The primary school kids are good, aren't they?!
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slikedges, thanks very much, I'll have a look into it, sadly my work schedule is hard to guess so it might not work as well as Gravity but fingers crossed. The kids were rediculous, they make it look so easy and are deceptively fast! One went down in a snow plough and still beat me! I curse my mother for not being overly-competative and forcing me into sport younger!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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MK has just started a promotion on wednesdays ski for an hour including equipment hire for £13
if you go before noon you can also join in on the free coaching session as well.....
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FAQ
