 Poster: A snowHead
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BGA, I would agree with richmond: have you read the posts above?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Let me see if I've got this right.
Here in Euroland, if you are not skiing on a groomed run, your life is in mortal danger.
Let's all keep that in mind next time one of those 'USA vs Europe' treads come up.
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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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I've had several occasions when sking off piste where I have just felt uncomfortable about the snow stability and the way it was layered. In these cases I have always had an alternative planned. Before committing to any detour scope out the terrain, look for traps, signs of possible rocks and also ways back to the piste. It's very tempting to just ski off for a few minutes, but one minute of assessment beforehand is worth taking the time for.
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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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In Verbier in Jan I was just nipping between runs to straighten out the nasty "S" turns the piste was making. On a little pitch, which steepened ever so slightly, all the snow around me seemed to move and start to slide.
I was starting to to worry, untill I heard the kindly workds "What are you stopping for, keep going ya girl!" coming from my guide/coach.
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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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FWIW, I've just had a look at the St Anton piste map I used last week. Itineraries are said to be 'only protected against avalanches in the immediate vicinity of the markers', which are in a single line, usually down the approx. middle of the skied track.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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richmond, well of course if you ski just off the piste without looking and assessing where you are skiing then you can end up in bother, but if common sense prevails then you will be OK. Just look at where you are planning to ski, see if other tracks are present and if those tracks follow through to the piste where you intend to end up. If you are on a glacier then stick to the marked pisted lest you end up in a crevasse, but otherwise scope the terrain from the nearest chairlift and so long as you can stop on demand in the area you can see to be clear and you are skiing in control then you should be fine.
Just bear in mind that the last advice comes after I've been in the Pub Mont Fort for the last 6 hours and so the usual disclaimers apply.
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It does depend on your mountain experience though, are you actually ok at evaluating avalanche risk?
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BGA, true, I daresay, but I think that what we're talking about is the assumption that provided you're skiing just alongside a piste or from one piste to another 20 or 30 or 50m apart, you don't have to think about avalanche (and other) risks. I've certainly done that (I wouldn't be able to recognise other than the most screamingly obvious risk). I'm not suggesting at all that one shouldn't make these little excursions, but, as you say, perhaps one should be able to make an informed assessment of the risk (which most of us can't).
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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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common sense must play its part,new snow at side of piste is going to be skied on and as discussed on any threads on this site just clipping in to your skis is a risk that everyone makes for themselves,but always be aware of the dangers.on the other hand Ive seen powder frenzy go mad with both skiers and boarders near desperate to get themselves and others in big trouble just to get those first tracks. in st anton this jan
loonys were just hiking anywhere they liked the look of in 2ft of new snow which you all probably know was sitting on some of the worse base for years, Av level 4 at least.
should resorts ban this recklessness,ie no off piste until risk level falls,unless guided??
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shorty,
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| common sense must play its part |
We all know though that tennagers are completely lacking in this area, and so, for the safety of all concerned they should remain firmly on the marked piste unless doing proper guided off-piste stuff. I wouldn't trust any typical 14 year old.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BGA, cheers for looking at the Verbier piste-map - I retract my earlier unfounded complaint about the lack of itinerary avalanche info on the map 
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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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BGA,
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or end up in blind ended couloirs with no way out
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surely no one actually heads on an off-piste route unless they know it leads somewhere and they know they can actually get out?
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Can you have a blind couloir (unless you're couloir blind)?
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You know it makes sense.
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richmond, chortle.
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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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| ami in berlin wrote: |
Let me see if I've got this right.
Here in Euroland, if you are not skiing on a groomed run, your life is in mortal danger.
Let's all keep that in mind next time one of those 'USA vs Europe' treads come up. |
I think this is a fair point - not necessarily that your life is in mortal danger but it could be and if you don't have the skills or knowledge to know whether or not it is you could be running a risk for yourself and others.
Obviously the same could apply on an overcrowded or ski-polished piste.
One reason I enjoy trips to N America is that you can try relatively challenging terrain without having to worry too much about the Avy variable.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rayscoops, you'd be surprised. There are also a number of people who will do a jump of a kicker without scoping out the landing. I seem to recall a tragic story of a lad doing a jump, only to discover it was a cliff.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rayscoops, you'd like to think not but I imagine it's pretty commonplace unfortunately. I remember talking to a guy at the top of Mont Fort last season and he was asking me and my skiing mate what the route was to get down the backside of Mont Fort and where it ended up. We explained that it ends up in Siviez but that it is pretty serious terrain and that we didn't think it was a good idea for him to ski it without a guide if he hadn't skiied it before. He said thanks, and then two minutes later we saw him setting off down there by himself. No map, by himself, avalanche risk of 3. And this wasn't some spotty teenager, it was a well spoken English guy in his late 30s. Scary.
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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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Keep an eye out over the next few days for a story about a bloke who got lost off-piste on the glacier at 2Alpes and ended up almost on the road at the top end of the Lac de Chambon. Picked up at nearly midnight by the mountain rescue team from Alpe d'Huez.
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