 Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from La Thuile, where we finally plucked up the courage to ski black 3 (73%). We were then told by the rep that the new run - 37 - has a steeper pitch at 75%, and is the steepest piste in Europe, so we proudly did that too 
The point of this post is, how do you convert the percentage of an incline to degrees? For example, is 50% 45 degrees?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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10 ......... 5.7
20 ......... 11.3
30 ......... 16.7
40 ......... 21.8
50 ......... 26.6
60 ......... 31
70 ......... 35
80 ......... 38.7
90 ......... 42
100 ........ 45
110 ........ 47.7
120 ........ 50.2
130 ........ 52.4
140 ........ 54.5
150 ........ 56.3
160 ........ 58
170 ........ 59.5
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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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| ajpaul wrote: |
| .. the steepest piste in Europe |
What, another one?
Harikari in Mayrofen is oft quoted as the "steepest run in Austria" at 78%
In 2009, Steinach-am-Brenner claimed Manni Pranger as "the steepest machine-prepared run in Austria" to be 102% (46 degrees) but seems to be considered off-piste on the latest piste map.
Maybe the Italians just don't consider Austria as part of Europe.
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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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Use the tangent tables.
Vertical distance divided by horizontal distance x100 = %
Thus 45º is 1/1 x100 = 100%
The Tan of an angle, as you might remember from school, is opposite side divided by adjacent side (ie tan of slope angle is vertical divided by horizontal, as above. Tan 45º = 1).
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 15-03-14 12:57; edited 1 time in total
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the flypaper @ glencoe beats them all
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geeo, all what? Not a 60º slope I presume.
By the way, when a resort says a piste is a certain number of degrees or a certain percentage slope they always mean the steepest part, not an average.
PS in skimottaret's post the left column is % and the right º
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 15-03-14 12:52; edited 1 time in total
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Rob W - it was a rep who said it, so yes, taken with a pinch of salt. I think she meant steepest in Italy.
Thanks for the replies folks.
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Hmm. The Tunnel at Alpe D'Huez is as steep as I ever want to go. I've been told that the opening slope is 35°. I found it possible to do under control, even when icy and mogully, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. Beyond what I would want to do, now.
[edit - typo corrected]
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sat 15-03-14 17:27; edited 1 time in total
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| snowball wrote: |
| geeo, all what? Not a 60º slope I presume. |
Not sure what you're questioning. As there aren't any 'pistes' steeper than 45 degrees in the Alps or elsewhere in Europe (unless you're counting the headwalls of say Chancer or Spikes etc which are effectively 'ski routes'), it seems fair for geoo to say that the Flypaper trumps them all.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
geeo, all what? Not a 60º slope I presume.
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just what moffatross, said
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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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Unless there is a large buildup of windblown snow Flypaper IS less than 45 degrees - having walked up it in summer, a quick check with 2 ski poles revealed the truth......I know very few places that are ever skied that measure more than 45 degrees (don't count less than a few meters, shouldn't count less than 10 meters)
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Idris, exactly. But just while we were playing the willy-waving for Top Trumps steep pistes game, I was pointing out that the random hypothetical 60 degree 'slope' pulled out of the pack to trump geoo's Flypaper was cheating. The Flypaper is undoubtedly top trump amongst European marked black runs but it's a bit of a cheat itself because it's not groomed or even groomable. I think Hairi Kiri or whatever it's called gets its willy-waving claim for fame because it's the steepest groomed run in Europe.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm confused by all this. The drag lift "Seigneur" in flumet is supposed to be one of the steepest in France (it's long, too, and goes up 550m). It is said to have a maximum slope of 66% which is, according to the table above, 34 degrees. Most slopes - in fact all slopes around here - are a lot less steep - no competitors for "steepest in Europe". 
However, am having difficulty relating the table above to the avalanche safety mantra that slopes below 30% rarely avalanche. Does that equate to about 58% in the table above? I rode up a section of draglift with a sign warning it was over 50% today - it looked pretty steep to me, and, translated across a slope, steep enough to avalanche. I'm sure I've seen avalanches on slopes less steep.
Or have I got this completely confused?
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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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So how does the old British road slope measurement compare? Is, for example, a 1in 5 hill a 20% slope? Or does that system measure the road distance (ie the hypotenuse) for the denominator?
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Poster: A snowHead
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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 wrote: |
| However, am having difficulty relating the table above to the avalanche safety mantra that slopes below 30% rarely avalanche. |
That's 30 degrees, not 30%. Percent seems to be a completely daft metric (100% = 45 degrees). 50% steepness = 27 degrees according to the table at the top of this thread. So yes, 30 degrees = 60% (give or take).
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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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altis, yes, that's what I thought, I just got it wrong in my post above! So a slope the steepness of my 50% drag this morning would (1t 26.6 degrees) be well below the 30 degree avalanche level. which surprises me, as it seemed quite steep!
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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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pam w, there is often an element of optical illusion when looking at slopes, if you look down from the top a slope invariably looks steeper than looking up from the bottom for example.
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pam w, of course less than 30 degrees can avalanche in unfavourable conditions. But risk is much higher for slopes greater than 30 degrees.
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lynseyf, the scarp entrance at Chancer will be approaching 50 degrees, falling off to 35 degrees or less after 10 or 20 metres of vertical. The Flypaper is slightly over 40 degrees and if you can ski Chancer, it should be no problem for you at all. Pick a sunny, Spring day, with sugary snow and good coverage and it becomes a total, whoopy skoosh. Are you coming back for some Scottish turns this season ?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I always thought The White Lady to be 30 Degrees. Anyone confirm or correct this ??
Also I was quite shaken with the black from Madonna dropping into Marilleva and the one into Folgarida, similar. . Anyone got a figure for these ?
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| moffatross wrote: |
| snowball wrote: |
| geeo, all what? Not a 60º slope I presume. |
Not sure what you're questioning. As there aren't any 'pistes' steeper than 45 degrees in the Alps or elsewhere in Europe (unless you're counting the headwalls of say Chancer or Spikes etc which are effectively 'ski routes'), it seems fair for geoo to say that the Flypaper trumps them all. |
Oh OK, I didn't realise you were only interested in pistes. At the start of the thread I thought we were talking about any slope (60º being about the limit for skiing and thus steepest slope on the list above).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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snowball, in the opening post in this thread, the author wrote about having been told they'd skied 'the steepest piste in Europe' and geoo just pointed out that the Flypaper had bragging rights for that.
| Farley Goode wrote: |
| I always thought The White Lady to be 30 Degrees. Anyone confirm or correct this ?? |
You might be surprised, Farley Goode. Here's an excerpt from the SMC's 1987 book, 'Ski Mountaineering in Scotland' and there are some slope comparisons for the gullies alongside popular, mainstream pistes under the chapter 'Extreme Skiing in Scotland'. Some of those routes aren't really considered 'extreme' these days either, but you'll see that the White Lady was reckoned to be just 21 degrees.
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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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The LaThuile +70% pistes are unusual though, in that they are regularly bashed (rather than left to mogul) and often rock hard, if not ice. I've stopped on them and tested with a pole and it didn't make an impression.
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| Farley Goode wrote: |
| and the one into Folgarida |
They one underneath the main gondola out of Folgarida? That's pretty tame down almost the entire length, with just one pitch approaching what I'd consider to be a modest black.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Unless there is a large buildup of windblown snow Flypaper IS less than 45 degrees - having walked up it in summer, a quick check with 2 ski poles revealed the truth......I know very few places that are ever skied that measure more than 45 degrees (don't count less than a few meters, shouldn't count less than 10 meters
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Have you tried skiing it in summer though it's pretty hard without that build up of snow the top is definitely more than 45 most of the time but I will check it with my transceiver next week for interest sake
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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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moffatross, I fell going into the Back Corries so did the first 10m on my ass  35 degrees sounds about right for the rest, pretty much at the top of my comfort zone. I think a lot of people are surprised by the steepness of what they are skiing and totally overestimate, it's a good thing to be able to estimate though as it's important to assess off piste safety.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Farley Goode wrote: |
| and the one into Folgarida |
They one underneath the main gondola out of Folgarida? That's pretty tame down almost the entire length, with just one pitch approaching what I'd consider to be a modest black. |
Agreed. The Marilleva one is perhaps a bit blacker. Nice runs, though, I liked them both. How steep is Tortin? That freaked me out a little. And Le Tunnel freaked me out a lot, but that was mostly on account of the icy, car-sized moguls. 
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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, 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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altis, goodness, that's complicated. On my Imac you just press 0 with Alt.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Pedantica wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| Farley Goode wrote: |
| and the one into Folgarida |
They one underneath the main gondola out of Folgarida? That's pretty tame down almost the entire length, with just one pitch approaching what I'd consider to be a modest black. |
Agreed. The Marilleva one is perhaps a bit blacker. Nice runs, though, I liked them both. |
the Folgarida black is great for a high speed blast. Scott and I raced the gondola down. Big grins at the bottom
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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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rob@rar, And I seem to remember that we won 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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In Madonna di Campiglio last year we skied a new run called pancugolo. The piste is marked at 70 degrees and has plenty of signs warning us that it was for experts only. I am an utterly pants skier and have skied blacks only occasionally and usually by mistake. Pancugolo was a doddle which makes me realise that snow conditions are infinitely more important than steepness. It hasn't lulled me into thinking I'm any good!
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skimottaret,
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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| In Madonna di Campiglio last year we skied a new run called pancugolo. The piste is marked at 70 degrees and has plenty of signs warning us that it was for experts only. I am an utterly pants skier and have skied blacks only occasionally and usually by mistake. Pancugolo was a doddle which makes me realise that snow conditions are infinitely more important than steepness. It hasn't lulled me into thinking I'm any good! |
70 percent surely not 70 degrees?
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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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snowrider, oooops, yes that's what I meant. 
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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| In Madonna di Campiglio last year we skied a new run called pancugolo. The piste is marked at 70 degrees and has plenty of signs warning us that it was for experts only. |
It is my experience in Italy that all black runs, of whatever steepness, are marked as for expert skiers only. There are a couple in Gressoney thus marked which would probably not be classified as more than reds in some resorts. I always feel a little flattered when skiing on down past the sign, nonetheless.
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