Poster: A snowHead
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French Megeve (St. Gervais, Combloux, Megeve & Rochebrune) is known to have inconsistent slope gradings. The wife and I tried to stay away from the crowd and found a quiet spot in Rochebrune next to the Super Megeve chair lift (Run No. 56 also called Super Megeve) and decided to practise there, as we were starting to tackle the red slopes then. Only afterward by looking at the piste map we realised it was a black slope. It is always groomed but can have bumps of snow here and there and is by no mean steep. This was my opinion then and remains so now after we have done blacks slopes in 8 countries. Every time I revisit Megeve I would try it again just to laugh at it. It is very short and straight too as one can see one end from the other. Would suit skiers gunning for the black first time as I haven't found one easier than it yet.
At the opposite end I find the first section of the green slope coming down from Borsat Express chairlift of Tignes/Val Dl'sere Col De Fresse totally unreasonable. It is one of the two links between Val D and Tignes and at times the overtrafficed slope becomes nothing but deep moguls. The slope is also unreasonably steep and can be comfortably classified as a red. The only reason I could think of it being green is because all the rest is flat.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you are looking for deadly greens Val D has got to be the place. I remember the top of Genepy which is steep mogulled and allegedly green.
Easiest blacks might be those above Ciel Alto at Cervinia or Sanglier below Saulire at Meribel.
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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.
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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 know it's generalising but any Italian black is usually much easier than a French, Austrian or Swiss run.
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Easiest Black - can't remember the name but it was at Big Mountain, Whitefish in Montana was flat like the rest of the mountain but had a tree in the middle of the piste - still had bits of dual carriageway on either side to pass by though !! - As for the Green - probably a scottish green is the hardest or failing that one in Fernie - last year after I hadn't skied for 3 years
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There are a couple of blacks in Crans Montana that I'm sure have been wrongly graded.
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I usually ski only white stuff.
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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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Hardest green was easily that bit at the top under the Borsat Express at Val d when we skied it in 2002, however in 2003 there was an alternative route down alongside it, a big zigzag, dead easy.
Easiest black was at Tignes, up on the glacier, we didn't even know it was black until later.
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Near Avoriaz the other weekend, we skied into the Swiss side. My partner (expert) said to me (intermediate) "this is a lovely long blue". Half way along a black chanelled off as the quick way down to the bottom. He disappears off the side and I stay on the blue. Swishing happily along, the run turned a corner and dropped off the side. Mr Expert watching me from the bottom thought it hilarious as all these intermediates stood like lemmings at the top before hacking their way down the vertical drop. I kid you not. The black would have been the easiest way down.
For a confidence building black you can't beat the Leisse in Tignes. Short and forgiving.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It's dependent upon conditions, of course, as well.
Loze Est (green) in Courchevel is fine when the snow is good. When it gets icey and mogulled in the narrow bits, it becomes a lot more like a difficult blue than a green. In fact two weeks ago, it was probably a red given the conditions (alternating slush and ice moguls).
More beginners were falling on that than the red coming down from 1650 to the 1850 lifts...
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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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Forgot to mention - easiest black again depends so much on conditions. Face in Val D is a doddle in the right snow, early on in the day (when it's quieter). Have been on a many reds that were considerably steeper/bumpier...
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I've been on Leisse with gigantic moguls. Twas a black and half then...
They seem to groom it at least twice a week these days.
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You know it makes sense.
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The bottom part of the Luc Alphand Run to Chantmerle (Serre Chevalier) manages to be both at once. It is a black (used for racing) but at least one of the greens through the trees crosses it. Not funny for beginners.
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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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kuwait_ian, I know what you mean. Me and another guy after a hard day decided to take the "easy" way down and take the green. Well it was a V-shape after scores of people snow-plowing down it, which was all you could do to go down it. We gave up on the "easy" and switched to the "hard" Luc Alphand which was much easier!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Helen LS wrote: |
As for the Green - probably a scottish green is the hardest |
Is it the grass coming through?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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kuwait_ian, much better on Luc Alphand than the green, first time I admit I did the green . but switched to the black the 2nd time it crossed. You end up on the bottom of the black when you finish anyway.
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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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Yes Helen. The Luc A for those who don't know it is very wide and kept flat (at least in this area) so as long as you can traverse you can use it without much fear.
Higher up it is a different story.
But late afternoon near the bottom it can get interesting with traversing slowbies and fall line devils 'interacting' as everyone comes down for the last time.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Have been known to get the cable car down in the afternoon in late season. Off there soon, so I'll test it out again, morning time though I think.
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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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Used to love being in deckchair mode late afternoon with a pint and a baguette on the terrace of the Yeti Hotel watching the carnage on the end of the Luc Alpha.
See also the Swedish Skier Killed thread about the fun to be had there.
But I think someone has built a multistorey in the way and blocked the view.... ?
Have a good one, Helen.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hardest green, don't know the name but it's on the far left at Kicking Horse and is one of the hardest runs I've ever done, full of rocks, moguls & trees! Kept checking the piste map after thinking I'd made a mistake!
Easiest - Italy.
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Easiest black is any black in Andorra. I also found the blacks in St Anton to be surprisingly unchallenging for a supposed "expert" resort.
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Quote: |
I also found the blacks in St Anton to be surprisingly unchallenging for a supposed "expert" resort.
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do you mean the itineries or the pisted runs? my sense is the itineries at St Anton play the role of blacks.
I'd agree with others about the hardest green - that run down to La Dai (sp?) in Val D'Isere is only green to pretend that their are beginner runs to resort when people are booking their holidays...
I also nearly lost a girlfirend by dragging her down that blue through the trees below les saulaise
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