 Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| I wear sun glasses or goggles if it's very glarey, sunshine on snow is very uncomfortable, but I think the dangers of incinerating retinas, at our latitudes and with our weather, can be over-egged. After all, our ancestors didn't wear expensive sunglasses all the time, did they? |
However the typical life span of our ancestors was probably rather less than my own plans at least.
I started using protection because surfing a lot caused my near vision to stop working. It was either stop surfing or use eye protection, or stop reading. Eye protection is seldom shown in surf photographs and is remarkably rare on the water. But so are old people... and I aim to be surfing whilst old, just to annoy the kids. Who will be taken down should they drop in on me, just in case they have rude parents too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, You do get some charming conversations with the ski school children. I'm amazed how well many of them speak english.
There's no answer to this
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| "My granny's 63", she announced "and she's dead". |
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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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This thread has ended up being very enlightening.
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@johnE, that conversation was in French. One little girl, on another occasion, told me that I "talk funny". I'm aware of that but most French adults are too polite to say so. 
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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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I just had a very comprehensive eye check at the optician...some of the kit they have these days is quite incredible, it's so much more than "can you read the second line on the chart?"
Anyway...the optician was very keen to talk about the need to wear sunglasses, and even on bright cloudy days. She said the evidence was absolutely clear, no doubt at all, that wearing sunglasses in glare conditions saves your eyes from long term permanent damage.
I find that when driving on bright cloudy days I soon reach for the sunnies in any case.
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| johnE wrote: |
| You do get some charming conversations with the ski school children. |
Around ten years ago, I went across from Les Arcs to La Plagne for the day. Second chair heading up on La Plagne side, ski school group. Went up with a boy, around 9 years old, who started asking me stuff - where was I going etc - then looked at me and said 'Are you Mr xxx?'. Was a kid from the school I taught at here in Kent.
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When I was about 5 I said to one of my dad's friends "when I grow up will you be dead?".
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| phil_w wrote: |
I started using protection because surfing a lot caused my near vision to stop working. |
What’s the connection?
Just curious. In case I one day decide to learn to surf… 
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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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@pam w,
| Quote: |
One little girl, on another occasion, told me that I "talk funny
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I got told on a chair lift by a ski school kid that I talked like a baby...she must have been all of 5 or so!
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FYI for those who think it’s no problem not wearing appropriate eye protection in the mountains.
UV increases by approx 10% with every 1000 m.
Fresh snow reflects between 50% - 90% UV.
So, if you’re skiing at around 2000 - 2500 meters you’ll be receiving more than 220% UV than at sea level, and that increases the higher you go.
I’ve had snowblind in the mountains before, sunburnt retinas are no joke so saying ‘how do they not incinerate retinas?’ Is a valid question. And as I say… I don’t get people who don’t wear eye protection.
Also, the indigenous peoples of arctic or high mountain areas made snow goggles to protect their eyes so they knew the risks (if not the science) thousands of years ago even more than those who choose not to wear any eye protection today.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It probably not the case now but in the past some sunglasses cut down visible light but not UV. Your iris then opened more and allowed more UV in causing eye damage. Read the specs of the goggles and sunglasses to make sure they are filtering the UV.
Incidently when buying my latests glasses I was asked if I wanted a UV filter on them. Of course I said yes. The Irises contract to reduce the normal light entering the eye while the UV filter prevents the burning of retina.
| Quote: |
| So, if you’re skiing at around 2000 - 2500 metres you’ll be receiving more than 220% UV than at sea level, and that increases the higher you go. |
Be very careful when skiing in April or May. Even factor 50 may be insufficent. And watch your chest and any thinning of the hair.
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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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| abc wrote: |
| phil_w wrote: |
I started using protection because surfing a lot caused my near vision to stop working. |
What’s the connection? |
There's no shortage of UV in most places with decent surf, and eye protection is almost never used, unlike in the mountains where you'd go snow blind. With surfing you're not typically out all day, but you may still be out several hours over a day. I paid an expensive bloke at Moorfields, because I couldn't really believe that the cause was that despite all the imagery (which almost never features it), you actually have to wear eye protection whilst surfing. The issue is lens damage, not retina.
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The BBC had a piece some time ago comparing the UV protection of sunglasses at various price points. EU regulation is clear that they should all provide protection, but they found not all delivered it, despite being EC labelled. From what I remember it wasn't particularly obvious from price which were which. I'm not sure how a punter without a spectrophotometer is supposed to tell which is which. Most sunglasses worked correctly.
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My daughter has a surfing hat - with strong elastic. Not as good as sunglasses, but does shade her eyes to an extent.
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You know it makes sense.
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In over 40 years of surfing regularly I’ve never seen anyone wear sunnies to surf. Could see it being nice if there were some options out there. I’ve seen a couple people wearing helmets with sun visors but they look really awkward.
The hats don’t work well in waves that need to be duck dived. They just get in the way.
I don’t doubt that long term exposure to sun in the ocean messes with the eyes. I much prefer overcast days.
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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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^ +1
25 years surfing, 15 years windsurfing. Never seen anyone in sunglasses, maybe the occasional bucket hat.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I caught the sun in Tignes on my first ever spring skiing trip. Was only used to early Jan temps until then.
We'd stopped at a cafe on the first day and as we walked through the deck chairs there was a woman - Gravy brown, sunbathing in a bikini and a pair of moon boots. It seemed totally surreal.
We plonked down a suitable distance from the mad woman and spent a maximum of 20minutes supping our hot chocolates, then off to go. Quite soon after I could feel my lips tingling. By that evening I knew something was up and by morning I had a massive trout pout made up of seeping blisters and the end of my nose was in the same state. It was so sore I couldn't sleep or eat properly or even smile and anyone who knows me knows I'm a grinning idiot most of the time so it really put a downer on the rest of the trip.
I even got a little caught out last week by forgetting the lip balm one day and ended up with several sores. I did at least manage to keep the kids fully lathered up in the factor 50 though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| hang11 wrote: |
In over 40 years of surfing regularly I’ve never seen anyone wear sunnies to surf. Could see it being nice if there were some options out there. I’ve seen a couple people wearing helmets with sun visors but they look really awkward.
The hats don’t work well in waves that need to be duck dived. They just get in the way.
I don’t doubt that long term exposure to sun in the ocean messes with the eyes. I much prefer overcast days. |
I’m suspecting the lack of Sunnies being they won’t stay put in waves?
I use these for running white water: https://www.seaspecs.com/ They stayed on even when I got tumbled in rapids.
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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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can’t see how anything like that would stay put even for a mild drilling when surfing. Tbh maybe 80% of my surfing these days is early morning or late evening so the sun isn’t too high, but with the amount of time I’ve been doing it I guess the effect is cumulative.
I just use regular sunnies with a strap in whitewater and never had a problem, apart from catching a tree branch in the strap once and nearly ripping my head off.
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Ok, maybe the “drilling” in surf are that much more violent than in white water. Mine stayed on me even when I got dragged over rocks which broke one of the lens.
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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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| hang11 wrote: |
| .. apart from catching a tree branch in the strap once and nearly ripping my head off. |
Serves you right you for wearing a strap-on in public...dirty ol man!
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@hang11, for my very limited surfing experiences I used my sea specs and they stayed on for quite a lot of machine washes.
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Seaspecs look good - not dissimilar to outdoor swimming goggles. With goggles... I use a leash, but they only come off in the worst crashes. I'll either pick some up in the US or see if I can find an EU or UK supplier.
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Nelson Mandela, worked in the quarry on Robin Island ( have been there to see it, quite a moving experience ) sunlight and white quarry stone, and no eye protection and his eyes suffered as a result.
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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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I have prescription varifocal sunnies, which come in around €500, and I used them on the sea whenever possible when I'm back in the UK, though I admit to losing a pair which made it an expensive session.
So if I'm on the SUP then I'll wear them, whereas kitesurfing I now pass, that said I wear them not so much for UV protection but so I can see 100% so I suppose if I was bothered about UV I could just wear ordinary sunnies with a strap retainer which a few friends do, and my eyes are not suitable for contact lens evidently.
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When we trekked the GR 5 in 2011 this day was to go from refuge entre le lac to refuge de la leisse. Waking up to fresh snow at entre le lac but stormy skies we duly slapped sun cream on (daily routine), by the time we reached col de la leisse the sun came out for a little bit. So, as we sat with our sunnies and wide brimmed sun hats on a rock cooking up our lunch (vacuum sealed potato and bacon with a side of cheese, practically a tartiflette!) on our gas stove, as the snow was all around us at the end of July, we were thinking how nice it was after the last few days of torrential rain.
That night in the refuge my entire face was stinging, the next day the scabbing started across my nose, cheeks and chin and got worse over the following days - it took over 3 weeks for those scabs to heal properly. Now, 12 years later my nose and cheeks are so sensitive to the sun they go lobster red at the slightest thought of sun… the skin is so delicate if I get a cold I can’t blow my nose that much because it actually starts ripping the skin across the bridge.
the scary part was I didn’t even look towards the sun, i took my hat off for a few moments to take a few photos otherwise I sat with sunnies and wide brimmed sun hat with my face shaded out, the UV was reflected off the fresh snow. And at ~2800m under a midday mid summer sun while wearing sun cream I still got that level of exposure. Imagine what would have happened to my eyes!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
When we trekked the GR 5 in 2011
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All the way? I'm impressed.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| Quote: |
When we trekked the GR 5 in 2011
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All the way? I'm impressed. |
The whole alpine section from lake Geneva to the med, yes - Technically that’s the GTA par GR5 - but we always just shorthand it to GR5., we decided to finish in Menton instead of Nice because it is a nicer finish.
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@Extremophile, I'm still impressed.
We met a couple groups in the entre le lac hut a few years ago. IRRC one group had already been on the road for months having started from Hoek. The other group were doing the alpine section as a series of summer holidays. Though it was July it snowed that day and we abandoned out climb on the Bellecote due to powder snow everywhere. Both groups were going from North to South, which appeared tradditional, whereas everyone Iv'e met (me included) did the Pennine Way south to north. I wonder why?
Now we are getting into some serious thread drift 
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You know it makes sense.
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| johnE wrote: |
@Extremophile, I'm still impressed.
We met a couple groups in the entre le lac hut a few years ago. IRRC one group had already been on the road for months having started from Hoek. The other group were doing the alpine section as a series of summer holidays. Though it was July it snowed that day and we abandoned out climb on the Bellecote due to powder snow everywhere. Both groups were going from North to South, which appeared tradditional, whereas everyone Iv'e met (me included) did the Pennine Way south to north. I wonder why?
Now we are getting into some serious thread drift |
Put simply, it’s always nicer to walk to the beach rather than away from it.
We through hiked it. 33 days walking, 2 days off, at the end we had a couple of days in Menton enjoying the rest, food and sun, got the bus to Monaco for a day, then on the bus to Nice for another few days before flying home. Much nicer than walking northwards. Of course there are other things in play when people decide what direction to walk (eg walking northwards = sun at the back, which isn’t as appealing) , but walking to the beach generally wins.
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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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@Extremophile, @johnE, if God had intended us to walk extreme distances, He wouldn’t have allowed us to invent cars.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Gordyjh wrote: |
| @Extremophile, @johnE, if God had intended us to walk extreme distances, He wouldn’t have allowed us to invent cars. |
And as an atheist I believe humans invented god so there was always an excuse. Which you have just re-proven.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Gordyjh wrote: |
| @Extremophile, @johnE, if God had intended us to walk extreme distances, He wouldn’t have allowed us to invent cars. |
Puts serious doubts on whether God exist at all.
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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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| Extremophile wrote: |
| Gordyjh wrote: |
| @Extremophile, @johnE, if God had intended us to walk extreme distances, He wouldn’t have allowed us to invent cars. |
And as an atheist I believe humans invented god so there was always an excuse. Which you have just re-proven. |
BOOM!
I admire your stamina Extremophile, a few k and I find a place for a beer, lol, I think 25 or 30 is my limit .
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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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| biddpyat wrote: |
| Extremophile wrote: |
| Gordyjh wrote: |
| @Extremophile, @johnE, if God had intended us to walk extreme distances, He wouldn’t have allowed us to invent cars. |
And as an atheist I believe humans invented god so there was always an excuse. Which you have just re-proven. |
BOOM!
I admire your stamina Extremophile, a few k and I find a place for a beer, lol, I think 25 or 30 is my limit . |
Rest assured there was much beer and wine consumed.
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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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| Extremophile wrote: |
| johnE wrote: |
@Extremophile, I'm still impressed.
We met a couple groups in the entre le lac hut a few years ago. IRRC one group had already been on the road for months having started from Hoek. The other group were doing the alpine section as a series of summer holidays. Though it was July it snowed that day and we abandoned out climb on the Bellecote due to powder snow everywhere. Both groups were going from North to South, which appeared tradditional, whereas everyone Iv'e met (me included) did the Pennine Way south to north. I wonder why?
Now we are getting into some serious thread drift |
Put simply, it’s always nicer to walk to the beach rather than away from it.
We through hiked it. 33 days walking, 2 days off, at the end we had a couple of days in Menton enjoying the rest, food and sun, got the bus to Monaco for a day, then on the bus to Nice for another few days before flying home. Much nicer than walking northwards. Of course there are other things in play when people decide what direction to walk (eg walking northwards = sun at the back, which isn’t as appealing) , but walking to the beach generally wins. |
sounds great!
I have my eye on the Pyrenean Haute Route for as soon as I can retire.
Not sure I agree with your sun on the back point though. Squinting into the sun isn't great and you get better views with the sun behind you.
I did the GR20 S to N partly for that reason and partly because - arguably - the more exciting sections are in the Northern half so you have that to look forward to (although TBH its all tremendous in its own way).
Think about Corsica is you get great beaches at any end of a walk 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| jedster wrote: |
| Extremophile wrote: |
| johnE wrote: |
@Extremophile, I'm still impressed.
We met a couple groups in the entre le lac hut a few years ago. IRRC one group had already been on the road for months having started from Hoek. The other group were doing the alpine section as a series of summer holidays. Though it was July it snowed that day and we abandoned out climb on the Bellecote due to powder snow everywhere. Both groups were going from North to South, which appeared tradditional, whereas everyone Iv'e met (me included) did the Pennine Way south to north. I wonder why?
Now we are getting into some serious thread drift |
Put simply, it’s always nicer to walk to the beach rather than away from it.
We through hiked it. 33 days walking, 2 days off, at the end we had a couple of days in Menton enjoying the rest, food and sun, got the bus to Monaco for a day, then on the bus to Nice for another few days before flying home. Much nicer than walking northwards. Of course there are other things in play when people decide what direction to walk (eg walking northwards = sun at the back, which isn’t as appealing) , but walking to the beach generally wins. |
sounds great!
I have my eye on the Pyrenean Haute Route for as soon as I can retire.
Not sure I agree with your sun on the back point though. Squinting into the sun isn't great and you get better views with the sun behind you.
I did the GR20 S to N partly for that reason and partly because - arguably - the more exciting sections are in the Northern half so you have that to look forward to (although TBH its all tremendous in its own way).
Think about Corsica is you get great beaches at any end of a walk |
We’re planning on doing our own version of the gr10, 11, and HRP in a few years time and that will be walked from Atlantic towards the med - but got a few other trips going on first. Swcp next year and a multi week Norway trip in 2025. So we’re talking 2026 at the earliest.
As said, there are many reasons why people might not want to walk northwards, we all have our likes and dislikes, i quite like walking southwards for many reasons - in the words on Treebeard “it always feels like going downhill”. A good sun hat and pair of sunnies will stop most squinting. And you can take a break at any point to enjoy the views whatever direction you walk, so as with everything it’s always down to personal preference. Most people we met liked walking to the beach, as do I.
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I was led to beleive, probably by Wainright, that the reason South to North is prefered for the Pennine Way is that you have the weather, AKA driviing rain, at your back as well as not staring into the sun. I have to confess that I prefered the Cheviots to Bleaklow.
Phew! I just realised that it is 55 years since I did that walk.
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| johnE wrote: |
Phew! I just realised that it is 55 years since I did that walk. |
You would have walked past my front door!
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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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@Extremophile, nah, just taking the samples out of people walking extreme distances.
There’s a good reason for inventing the internal combustion engine.
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| johnE wrote: |
I was led to beleive, probably by Wainright, that the reason South to North is prefered for the Pennine Way is that you have the weather, AKA driviing rain, at your back as well as not staring into the sun. I have to confess that I prefered the Cheviots to Bleaklow.
Phew! I just realised that it is 55 years since I did that walk. |
Wainwright didn’t have access to the excellent eye protection we enjoy today, so during the 50’s and 60’s when he was writing his books it’s not unreasonable to make the connection as to why he preferred walking south to north. Pop some good quality sunnies on and enjoy walking North to South.
But above all - Do what works for you.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Thu 4-05-23 8:08; edited 1 time in total
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FAQ
