 Poster: A snowHead
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@under a new name, it has cleared a little in last twenty minutes but the cloud is pretty thick. I too find I get very disorientated in fog/cloud. It’s actually making me feel quite anxious. I want to enjoy it and make the most of our week together skiing and so feel a pressure to get out there regardless.
But I had a bad accident here five years ago with some pretty bad injuries caused by a reckless skier who hit me blind at about 30+ mph. It’s been so busy here this week and the number of accidents or incidents I’ve seen in poor conditions by reckless skiers has actually unsettled me.
I’m a decent enough skier in good conditions I can competently ski any piste but I’m nervous in bad viz. so I’m gonna try to chill for a bit and go out when it clears and stick to runs I know in the trees at Morillon and Carroz.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I shall definitely be more cautious about skiing in poor visibility after this happened:
(A spontaneous fall after becoming so disoriented that I had no idea I was skiing backwards - at some speed, according to a witness.)
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Hurtle, ouch! Hope you are OK!
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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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@Scarlet, @queenie pretty please, yes, I'm fine thanks, no lasting damage apart from a slightly sore hand caused, I think, by bending one of my fingers back in the fall. Some of the contents of my rucksack were pulverized, though. 
But I've now got a shiny new helmet. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I get very disorientated in poor visibility, I've tried all sorts to overcome it. A bad experience when I fell and couldn't get up as I didn't know which way was up or down didn't help. Hubby was only 2 piste markers ahead but couldn't find me. Luckily two young guys stopped and assisted. J also had a day where he was out in heavy snow and found himself with the rocks on the wrong side of him. He'd managed to stray off-piste even though he knew exactly where he was.
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I've had a couple of bad and pretty dangerous experiences in white-outs so tend to avoid these days. On another occasion at Obergurgl (a resort where piste marking is particularly poor and nine-parts useless in bad weather) I started to feel sick and disorientated as it was nigh impossible to tell which way was up. That's not a lot of fun and a holiday is supposed to be fun. However, tree-lined slopes are a different matter...
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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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We came up to Arolla last night, first time here. It started snowing lightly in the "village" at breakfast time so at 9 o'clock I went up to the first of 2 drags that take you from 2000m up to 3000m, nobody around. Swapped over to the second drag and I've still not seen anyone but there are a few ski tracks just about visible on the drag through the increasingly heavy snow and I can just make out a wall of snow a few metres to my right.
Halfway up there is dubiously helpful sign which reads "Suivez la Piste", I think to myself "What are my options; chance the boulder strewn rock garden to my right or drop over the invisible lip to my left and into the chasm below?" Thankfully the drag piste does not slope heavily either way and it's fairly easy to stay right under the cable.
As I reach the top 10 minutes later the wind is whisking up the snow and obscuring the, vital for a boarder with one foot unstrapped, wind scoured descent ramp. I survive by stopping dead (there is NO ONE coming up behind me) and then I take a look around to try and determine where the piste is.
As it turns out the piste is easy, there are a few inches of snow on what feels like a hard base but it's easy cruising, just have to concentrate on the next piste markers. I nearly go straight on a few times instead of following the bend but I get to the start of the second lift without stopping and, lo and behold, I am joined by a couple more boardriders. They follow me up the lift so at the top I craftily wait for them to pass thinking I can use them as markers but they immediately stop for a conflab and I am left to test my memory and spatial awareness once more.
I'm going to lap the top lift a few more times before the weather deteriorates, at the lift a small group of skiers arrive just before me and spoil my uphill powder run!
I'm now on about my fourth or fifth run and I've passed several groups of skiers but the amazing thing is that I haven't actually seen anyone else moving yet!
Time for coffee back at the motorhome. Can't wait for the morning.
Edit. It's 1.30 and has suddenly stopped snowing, I can see the surrounding peaks and it's time to put my boots back on.
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@BoardieK, 1000m of draglift on a snowboard. Respect.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@BoardieK, Much respeck init.
As for skiing when snowing... clearly not as I am writing a reply on snowheads. Maybe it was the blizzard conditions higher up and the fact my daughter got scared as she couldn’t see me 15 yards ahead made us stop.
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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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Done that, fell off (a little) cliff.
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Hoofing horizontal and blowing a hooley in les menuires this morning. Didn't know which way I was going, but bug if I'm coming of the mountain till last lift.
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You know it makes sense.
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| ansta1 wrote: |
| Hoofing horizontal and blowing a hooley in les menuires this morning. Didn't know which way I was going, but bug if I'm coming of the mountain till last lift. |
That's my boy!
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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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Day playing in the snow in Les Contamines with a selection of visabilities. Had the kids with us and they've never experienced the whiteout we were getting at one point. Did get a bit sketchy for smallest as he is learning to snowboard at the moment so doesn't have the confidence to quite plough through...
Pretty much stopped now, and temp is up to +3.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes. 100%
We did in Kitzbuhel two weeks ago when 80% of the area was shut, just try to find some slopes where trees can give definition in bad light. The downside of this is that everyone with the same idea hit the bar and restaurant at roughly the same time.
When it's just dropping big fat flakes without wind or fog it's my ideal conditions, fresh tracks regularly and as most people stick to the centre of the piste you can always find a bit of powder down the edge.
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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 we went out about two minutes after I bumped the thread this morning with my reservations.
SO SO glad we did as we’ve had an epic day! We stick to Morillon sector GM and had some epic off piste and even the red pistes were like being off piste for quite a while. The viz was actually pretty good and it has really stopped snowing all day.
I’ve found some much needed confidence skiing in heavy snow and poor viz but did get a touch out of kilter on the last run back down in flat light and fog.
All good though
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