The Wall in Porte de Soleil?

A snowHead

under a new name, I believe everyone is telling me that Swiss Wall has been icy when they've skied it. I skied Gunbarrel after a month of no snow: it was like very little ice, if any at all. And by resort, let's just say town. Al's Run will be the only run you see upon entering the only base area at Taos. Gunbarrel has only it's last 700 or so vertical showing from the California base area, which is one of the 4 different bases (California, Stagecoach, Boulder, Village with the Gondola). Swiss Wall I believe is not visible from any town in Porte de Soleil.

A snowHead

Was there a couple of weeks ago and nearly had a go, the trouble was you can't see where you are going until you are on it and I wasn't prepared to go down and have a look and either walk back up or side step .............. so lost the bottle Embarassed

and had my picture taken at the top by the sign post ........... I was talking to skiers staying in the same chalet as me and they had said a couple of jumps turns and then its not too bad ......... also go over to the edge as easier and you should be fine after the initial heart stopping turns ............. and don't fall at the top as you will just keep going - got a great picture though !!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

However people tend to be concerned with the gradient of the steepest 50 yards.

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skiking4, yeah, well, one man's ice is another man's perfect slalom course. AFAIK, it gets closed when it gets (properly) icy. Certainly true in the 3 seasons I worked there, certainly true every time I've been back.

OK, "town". Hmmm, I don't think you can see it from Crosets or Champery, but have never paid much attention. So I think you're probably correct.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Come on boys and girls it's not that hard and there is harder in the area if you go a little off the beaten track Very Happy

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When we went last week it looked and felt as though the moguls had been somewhat flattened out compared to the first time I ventured down it in 2008. Wasn't quite so daunting this time around. The advantage I feel is that the wall is quite wide so there is plenty of scope for a traverse if you get in to trouble. Something like Combette on the far side of Azoriaz is much nastier IMV since it is not only steep and bumpy but also narrow (and icy this time last week).

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The "Wall" is only tricky for the first 50m or so. It has a convex shape at the top and gets traversed an awful lot, so getting started is a bit difficult, as the initial drops into the moguls can be a bit intimidating, especially when icy, no worse than the top of say Mt.Fort in Verbier. It's pretty long for a bump run, but there's a good restaurant at the bottom, so good for building an appetite for lunch. Woosies ride the lift down.

The "Wall" has a reputation, so tends to attract skiers who really shouldn't be there looking for bragging rights, if it's icy and you fall, you're going a long way. There's no escape route either once you start skiing it, so tiredness can play into the equation too.

After all it is free

I've done it once in good conditions on a quiet day and it was fine. If it was busy and/or icy I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

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"but there's a good restaurant at the bottom"

where?

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under a new name, Carry on past the chair on a blue run and it's on your right. I think it's owned by an ex Swiss Team Woman Racer. Ages since I've been there, can't remember any more I'm afraid.

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It's quite a way past IIR.

Spyderman, really quite a way past. I think you're committed to Champery by then... must admit never been. Always picked up at least the chair on the left into Crosets. Or, maybe, it used to be a drag lift?

You know it makes sense.

Myself and my eldest son did it 3 times over New Year,whilst the OH and No.2 son got the lift down.
Its all about snow conditions and visibilty.The first time was in a complete white out and I had to ski it carefully on instinct.I find these sort of conditions almost dreamlike,its just you against the mountain and the elements.
The second and third time I could actually see what I was skiing down and if you are a seasoned skier it really isnt anything to worry about other than the first 2 or 3 turns.
If your a middle intermediate then it should be acheivable with care, although you may not enjoy it much but will look back up with a sense of acheivement, hopefuly whilst still upright.
The drop in on Tortin, immediate skiers left has got to be slightly trickier has it not?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Never skied this before but I am going on a family trip to Portes Du soleil next year. I have been to Lake Louise this year and from the pictures I have seen on this post it looks less steep than alot of the mogulled runs in Lake Louise back bowls. Give the hill some respect and do not attempt it if you are unsure some of these runs become pure carnage when you have alot of nervous skiers on them. Looks great to me though

A snowHead

I took a look over the edge of the swiss wall..............................then took the chairlift down Laughing

(but I am still fairly novice!)

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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

bad_roo, Quite a bit steeper yes but the problem with pics of the wall (unlike your AdH pic) is that it's hard to get a perspective of how bumpy the bumps are. I've taken several on the last couple of trips and can't get a decent shot worthy of posting. Then again I'm a crap photographer

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Just came back from Verbier. I found Tortin to be easier than Gunbarrel @ Heavenly (less steep, better snow), just to put in comparison with the Tortin vs. Swiss Wall comparison.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I find a good way of determining the steepness of the slope you are skiing is if you get min sluff slides happening around you or mini snowballs following you down the mountain as you turn. Anything much below 30 degrees and this is unlikely to happen.

As regards comparing one run with another it is almost impossible broadly speaking, as the competency of the skier and the conditions both of the snow and the weather are so variable.

Surely those black runs that 'draw a crowd' are in fact fairly routine to a decent skier.The mere fact that they draw a crowd and people attempt them when maybe they are not quite up to it is testament to the fact that they are in fact not as difficult but their reputation may suggest.

When you get a lift served itinary/off piste area that is obvious to an experienced skier but maybe less so to an inexperienced one,this is when you can get serious problems as happened to me in Verbier last year when it took almost an hour to get two damsels in distress off one of the itinaries.

If I hadnt of been gentlemanly and helped out above and beyond the call of duty it could of been very dangerous for them as they had reached the hysterics stage.
Maybe more the fault of the resorts ambigious piste markings coupled with the inexperience of some skiers.,but I,m sure it happens all the time.

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heading over to morzine at the weekend and would quite like to head over and tick this one off the list. its quite hard to guage just how much of a challenge the run is from some of the photos on here; certainly the one posted above makes it look rather wide and relatively straightforward - is this "drop" which people are speaking about at a narrow entry point to the run? does it require a moment of freefall before initiating your first turn?

one final (and i suppose the most important point!) is its exact location - ive read that its not pisted so im guessing its not even shown as a black run on the piste map. Where exactly is it?!

After all it is free

papillion_rouge, freefall is not required, just the usual icy/bumpy start where so many nervous skiers have sideslipped in before you. You won't miss it when you get up there as there are about a dozen warning signs. Skullie

in current conditions it will be easy to get down it, harder to do so without looking and feeling like a muppet

cheers red 27 - ive actually just answered my own question of its location by re-looking at the piste map! duh! if conditions permit, i shall certainly have a go, but as seems to have been mentioned on here its maybe worth giving a miss if excessively icy or busy

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papillion_rouge, this may have been mentioned already but the fact that the entire run has a chairlift right above it full of punters laughing/spitting/making chicken noises adds to the intimidation factor somewhat.

Start over on the skiers left and you'll lessen the chance of a fatal fall/slide/shoot over the edge of the cliff that certainly used to be an option for those who started on the right, fell, and parted company with their planks early on.

I 'got down' on about my 5th ski trip, but only by doing those ridiculous long traverses then an emergency 'turn' at each edge of the piste. rolling eyes

In my defence I was about 22 and even more of a muppet then I am now

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I agree with hedley that it's very difficult to judge pistes relative difficulties. That having been said, how would people who've skied them compare Mont Fort (front side), Grand Couloir in Courchevel and the Aguile Percee front side in Tignes? Done both Mont Fort and Aguile Percee a number of times with few problems and plan, conditions allowing, to do Grand Couloir in a couple of weeks time.

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Biggest cause of injury on the wall is released skis that bounce down icy bumps and get airborne......These then hit bods lower down who often do not see them coming! I have witnessed one nasty accident this season due to flying skis on the wall

papillion_rouge, As I mentioned above, the drop in didn't look so fierce this time around. Yes it's wide and even if it's busy at the top there is plenty of room to avoid the foolhardy Toofy Grin

You know it makes sense.

halfhand, sounds....um......do-able! Very Happy

in most cases it is the initial steep section which leads to the run which creates the fear factor! looking at the picture above just makes me want saturday to come round faster!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

papillion_rouge, The fear factor is the fact that it's hard to see exactly how steep the run is initially, because of its convex shape at the top. Just pick your start point and away you go. You'll get loads of people standing there quivering, trying to think it flat, but that never works, just make your mind up and get stuck in.

A snowHead

red 27, spot on Laughing

And I would echo Spyderman, just get in and do it. Toofy Grin

Actually there is a pinch point down the middle of the run after what seems like a couple of hundred metres. There is a hump which is marked off as having insufficient snow (well it was last week). You need to traverse out left to avoid it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Dr John, I've only skied Aguille Percee and Mont Fort. Aguille Percee is like a 200-250m bump run, relatively easy, maybe a 25-28 degree max. There are plenty more harder marked runs in the Espace Killy area (La Face de Bellevarde, Silene, Paquerettes, Piste S, Epaule du Charvet, Foret among others). On the other hand, Mont Fort is in that harder black category, about same 250m vertical, about 32-35 degree max, generally in the 25 degree line. It generally holds great snow though, lowering the difficulty. I'd definitely put Mont Fort as the harder run.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Picadilly, Better put Harakiri on the "To Do" list then Laughing

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The Wall in Porte de Soleil?

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