 Poster: A snowHead
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| DB wrote: |
Nothing to do with the skis, it's all about the fartbag 
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Somebody call?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| balernoStu wrote: |
| It does take commitment to avoid an early pivot and a more go-for-it approach is rewarded, |
So true. Unfortunately, when I can't see my skis, I can't see anything else under the snow. So anything that's going to trip me up is hidden. I'm far too screwed up to "go for it" unless I'm right behind an instructor who knows the terrain and even then I'm fighting the feeling of impending, "whoops, waaaahh".
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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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| maggi wrote: |
[
So true. Unfortunately, when I can't see my skis, I can't see anything else under the snow. So anything that's going to trip me up is hidden. I'm far too screwed up to "go for it" unless I'm right behind an instructor who knows the terrain and even then I'm fighting the feeling of impending, "whoops, waaaahh". |
When skiing piste that's covered up by a thick layer of soft snow, there's reasonable expectation what's under the snow are just more snow (and the piste itself, which is just compacted snow).
Off-piste, there's always the possibility what's under the snow could be ANYTHING. Though one hopes the ski will "ride over" most terrain variation and minor obstacles. If not, that's what releasable binding comes in. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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| maggi wrote: |
| balernoStu wrote: |
| It does take commitment to avoid an early pivot and a more go-for-it approach is rewarded, |
So true. Unfortunately, when I can't see my skis, I can't see anything else under the snow. So anything that's going to trip me up is hidden. I'm far too screwed up to "go for it" unless I'm right behind an instructor who knows the terrain and even then I'm fighting the feeling of impending, "whoops, waaaahh". |
Watch out for cliffs... and sleeping bears.
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@abc, @maggi, you don't need a lot of snow to cover everything up...
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @abc, @maggi, you don't need a lot of snow to cover everything up... |
just enough so you can't see it...
Friend of mine broke his leg badly on the Albona (Arlberg) a couple of years ago for exactly that reason. Skied straight into a rock just below the surface.
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@Steilhang, shame, accidents happen, but that sounds (!) like "dust on crust" to me and couldn't have been all that pleasant anyway.
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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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| maggi wrote: |
| balernoStu wrote: |
| It does take commitment to avoid an early pivot and a more go-for-it approach is rewarded, |
So true. Unfortunately, when I can't see my skis, I can't see anything else under the snow. So anything that's going to trip me up is hidden. I'm far too screwed up to "go for it" unless I'm right behind an instructor who knows the terrain and even then I'm fighting the feeling of impending, "whoops, waaaahh". |
Hmm, I hear that, but really it's not helping. Perhaps thinking about something else, or listening to music, would help. Look at the view: you should pretty much never be looking at your feet, or where you think they are.
In nearly 30 full seasons of powder I've only ever crashed into anything under the snow once... and that was at a resort. I hit a log at full speed with the nose of my board. I didn't know what it was at the time: it was just a fall... until I got to the bottom and my snowboard nose was flapping around. It's not a risk worth bothering about. In the back country it's easier - you can tell by the terrain and the snow cover if there's likely to be anything dodgy in there and either avoid it or ride that bit defensively.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @abc, @maggi, you don't need a lot of snow to cover everything up... |
| under a new name wrote: |
| @Steilhang, shame, accidents happen, but that sounds (!) like "dust on crust" to me and couldn't have been all that pleasant anyway. |
Your points are?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@abc, more or less what@philwig's saying. If you're off piste - either - it's deep enough that any hazards will usually be obvious - or - it's not deep enough to be great fun. All of this comes with experience of course.
And you do see folks in places that they clearly really would prefer not to be ... 
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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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You can booger yerself up on any snow . . . 
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Just to expand, if yu can see the underlying terrain, you kind of have to ignore the powder.
You also need to be super careful in not very deep powder in cut lines or where they've felled the trees below chairs, etc. as the result of getting a ski under a tree while continuing over it is unlikely to be comfortable.
However, my main point is that if it's good powder, you won't feel anything under the snow and shouldn't need to worry about it.
If it's really good and deep powder you shouldn't need to worry about anything...at all...not cliffs...not anything ... "Can't hurt yourself" snow.
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You know it makes sense.
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@under a new name, agreed - it's generally either deep enough to send it with impunity, or should be able to see/easily work out any hazards.
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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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@under a new name, I've experienced it myself often enough. Skiing down a pristine powder field when suddenly I hit something under the snow. Usually nothing happens. Sometimes you fall. Sometimes you break your leg in a career ending kind of way.
Definitely was not 'dust on crust'. I watched his GoPro video.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Steilhang, sure, it happens, sure, you can be really unlucky when it does.
But not worth worrying about. If you know what I mean.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Some 15 months ago, having managed successfully (if not stylishly) to negotiate a rather steep off-piste slope in Les Arcs, I was poling (it was that flat) across a meadow, when I did a double-eject head plant, after striking some hidden hazard under the snow. My shoulder injury - a SLAP tear, apparently - is still not healed. It's a bit annoying, really.
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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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@Hurtle, I did a similar injury putting a rather over loaded case into the overhead on a flight.
Took 24 months to resolve.
Hasn't put me off flying, nor over loading bags...
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@under a new name, I wasn't worrying. Just sayin that not all that is white is soft...
@Hurtle, that sucks! Hope it hasn't put you off.
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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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@under a new name, @Steilhang, no, I've not been put off.
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@Hurtle, new skis will do the trick
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I know someone was asking a page or two back..... As the OP I can confirm I was talking about fresh snow ON the piste.
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@foxtrotzulu, I think your OP was unclear (you mentioned deep powder).
What do you mean by "fresh snow"?
A foot of clag is rarely fun no matter what it has fallen on...
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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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@spyderjon, 
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@under a new name,
As ever, my OP slightly muddied the line between fresh snow and powder. Although you clearly do get powder on the piste as well as off it. They aren't the same, obviously. I'm generally thinking of 'fresh snow'. If it's light enough to float out of my way then that's great, but 99% of the fresh snow I meet isn't like that. It's heavy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@foxtrotzulu, your standard European clag then. Which is great for piste longevity...not necessarily such joy to ski.
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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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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
@under a new name,
As ever, my OP slightly muddied the line between fresh snow and powder. Although you clearly do get powder on the piste as well as off it. They aren't the same, obviously. I'm generally thinking of 'fresh snow'. If it's light enough to float out of my way then that's great, but 99% of the fresh snow I meet isn't like that. It's heavy. |
I don't regard there being much difference between a dump of fresh snow on a piste and off it. For that brief period before it is bashed the two are synonomous.
Fresh snow can vary in heavy and lightness as the day progresses, as the altitude changes, as the weather changes. It's all part of the fun and the challenge IMO. I guess it is the difference between racing a car on a track or rally driving. Not that I've done either of those.
I've grown to enjoy piste skiing as I've got older but if it was all I did...
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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
@under a new name,
As ever, my OP slightly muddied the line between fresh snow and powder. Although you clearly do get powder on the piste as well as off it. They aren't the same, obviously. I'm generally thinking of 'fresh snow'. If it's light enough to float out of my way then that's great, but 99% of the fresh snow I meet isn't like that. It's heavy. |
IIRC you are firm believer in renting skis. If so it is highly likely that you will be on ski which does not give you the most assistance in planing in heavy snot or slush because most rental shops hand out stuff which is targeted at ensuring one week a year on piste punters are reasonably able to use them for on piste turns. There is a saying in skiing that you can't buy a turn but in certain conditions with certain skis you definitely can (assuming you have solid technique and skills). Note - this isn't saying instead of lessons, IMV it's an as well.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Layne wrote: |
I've grown to enjoy piste skiing as I've got older but if it was all I did... |
Yep I've thought about this - if the only thing was piste skiing on manmade I probably wouldn't bother.
Piste skiing on natural I'd probably ski a lot less - maybe 1 or 2 weeks a year and would be less picky about destination because terrain really doesn't matter as much.
Fortunately I'm not in that position - maybe if manmade and ice were all there was then I might get into the joy of a really sharp race ski but I can't see it at present.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Layne wrote: |
I've grown to enjoy piste skiing as I've got older but if it was all I did... |
Yep I've thought about this - if the only thing was piste skiing on manmade I probably wouldn't bother.
Piste skiing on natural I'd probably ski a lot less - maybe 1 or 2 weeks a year and would be less picky about destination because terrain really doesn't matter as much.
Fortunately I'm not in that position - maybe if manmade and ice were all there was then I might get into the joy of a really sharp race ski but I can't see it at present. |
There's so much crap that we have to put up with skiing (cold, wet, wind, ski boots, everyone covered up in heavy baggy clothes)... Without a shadow of a doubt, if powder and the freedom of offpiste wasn't available, I'd move to a beach somewhere. Where at least when the waves are crap it's warm and sunny, girls walk around in bikinis, you don't need to wear underwear beneath your board shorts, and there is absolutely no need for socks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@clarky999, when my daughter and her OH went to Devon and Cornwall on their honeymoon they planned surfing if the waves were good, enjoying the beach if the waves were poor. They had two weeks of flat seas and pouring rain. I don't think they needed socks, though.
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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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| clarky999 wrote: |
There's so much crap that we have to put up with skiing (cold, wet, wind, ski boots, everyone covered up in heavy baggy clothes)... Without a shadow of a doubt, if powder and the freedom of offpiste wasn't available... |
I barely skied at all last season due to various illnesses and injuries, so it was really good to be able to do a bit of late season off-piste skiing when the lifts were closed... but the faff/kit/hassle factor is so much higher than with piste skiing (having to wear underwear and socks is the least of it!)... I can see why some just cba!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@miranda, like everything when you do something a lot you just get used to it.
Though this season I took two people out for their first couple of ski tours, and jeeeessssss the faff factor was through the roof !!!
And @clarky999, back here in the UK I live on the beach, and for what I do you certainly do not get the right conditions everyday.
And living in Costa del Geriatrica (Worthing) even if it is warm and sunny, I don't see many girls in bikinis
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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 somehow think clarky999 was not referring to the bountiful bikini clad babes on beautiful British beaches when he expressed his beach ambition.
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| Weathercam wrote: |
@miranda, like everything when you do something a lot you just get used to it.
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Sure... doesn't stop it being a PITA v clicking in and skiing off without having to carry anything though!
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@miranda, On the other hand, if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it. The Darwin awards only come into play when piste-rs think it is that easy.
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Indeed. Similarly, getting organised for sailing for the next ten days or so I am looking at a mountain of equipment. It's 13 degrees and a chilly wind with a lot of east in it. Nice as it will be to cross the channel with an easterly wind it means being equipped with layers, quite complicated layers including complete merino base, from top to toe, literally. Sitting in the cockpit needing a pee and wondering whether you can get down below, get out of some of the layers, avoid wetting the others and get back up again without being seasick. Such fun....
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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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Some things are worth getting dressed and equipped for. And even being uncomfortable quite frequently and scared occasionally. And having to keep thinking straight when you just want to go to sleep.
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FAQ
