 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Anyone done it? Any tips?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
yep. me. more details to follow 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Yes I've done it. As long as you can ski competently in control off piste in various conditions, the skiing side will be a breeze - they don't asess your technique, only your competence to pick a route and lead a group safely. Leading a group off piste is different to on piste, but they will assume your level of knowledged is zero to start with.
The hardest part is navigation, if you've not done it before get some practice. In particular being able to identify where you are on a map, by using features of the terrain.
With regards transceiver searches, snow pits etc, again they assume no knowledge. You could help yourself with the theory side of things by doing some background reading on avalanche safety, snow, navigation etc first.
If you're a quick learner you'll easily pick it all up in the 4 days training part of the course. The last 2 days are the assessment. And being relatively fit will help, as you'll need to be able to skin up for about an hour or two. Nothing overly strenuous though! We did the Breithorn in Zermatt.
About 20 people did it at the same time as me, no one failed - I don't think many do.
When are you doing it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Just to clarify - this is for the off piste course for Grade 2. The off piste for Grade 1 is much much harder, and lots more people fail that. I assumed you were enquiring about the course for Grade 2!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
beanie1, thanks that is very helpful and yes it is for grade 2, am doing it in Courchevel mid jan and will be my first module. I have a few books on order and got my maps and compass in. SOunds like fun and hopefully not a huge amount of pressure.
I dont have a lot of off piste experience but do enjoy it when i get a chance, have never skinned up so that will be cool...
They did say in the pre course booklet that you need AT gear. did you hire skis and skins or did they arrange for that. Also, were you able to use your alpine boots?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
skimottaret,
Yes I hired all the kit, most people did. BASI had arranged a discount in a local hire shop, they recommended reserving kit in advance - but then there were a lot of courses going on in Zermatt that week!
I used my Alpine boots, though not great for hiking up!! If you're using alpine boots take plenty of blister plasters!!! If you have tele kit use that, but i wouldn't bother buying touring kit until you know you're gonna enjoy it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
beanie1, i have tele gear now but only 4 hours of experience at MK  and not sure about looking down a steep pitch yet. I will chase up basi nearer the time and find out what they have lined up locally, dont want to buy any AT gear.
Was it mainly touring then, any steep stuff or gullies to contend with?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best, leave the tele gear at home then! One of the girls in my group had just done her tele trainee isntructor, but didn't feel confident enough with it off piste!
About 60% of it was off piste not too far from the pistes. They used the lifts as much as poss to get as much skiing time as possible. We only did 3 sessions with skins. First time near the piste to teach us how to use the kit, then a couple of "mini" tours (i.e. half a day, nothing at all extreme!). We kitted up to ski on the glacier a couple of times (harnesses, ropes etc), but you will 100% be following the guide then - this course only enables you to take groups off piste within the ski area, using the lift system (not skins!), and not on glaciers.
We skied a few steep pitches / gullies - but the guide will assess your ability first, and won't push you to do anything of which you're not capable.
It's about off piste safety - no one's expecting extreme skiing!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
skimottaret, there is absolutely no need for AT boots for a day tour, unless you are intending to do any rocky summits (when the treaded sole comes in useful), or possibly having to boot across an icy slope with crampons on (it's tougher to find crampons that will fit on a downhill boot). If you're spending your life touring, then yes you'll probably use AT boots all the time (I did for a couple of years) and most guides don't use normal downhill boots at all. They are generally softer though, so provide a bit less control, and come less far up the shins, so you end up with more bruised shins if you're skiing hard. I've now gone back to alpine boots for most purposes - but will probably use AT bindings for everything. Modern AT bindings, unless going for ultra-lightweight like Dynafit - and everything you'll find in a hire shop - take a normal downhill boot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GrahamN, definately not thinking about AT boots my alpine ones will have to do. do all AT bindings work with alpine boots? I thought i heard on ly a few AT bindings will accept alpine....
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Those you'll see in hire shops are Fritschi Freeride, Fritschi Explore, Naxo, Silvretta, and maybe now the new Dukes. Probably more Fritschis than everything else put together. All accept standard alpine with normal DIN releases. As I said, the only ones I've ever seen (in the last 5 years) that do not accept normal alpines are those like the Dynafit Tourlite that are very specialist touring bindings, which need special lugholes in the boot - and I don't think I've ever seen those in a hire shop.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sounds like a good course.
As regards to the boots, I think this is becoming/has become a bigger market and I am hoping the Garmont Endophin is a real cross-over boot as I have neard Tourers say it is a stiff boot for them. When I try a pr on I will have abetter idea.
I am interested to hear that GrahamN does most of his stuff on alpine boots so maybe the new Gramont will reverse this.
FWIW, I think the Freeride plus takes some getting used to if you aern't familiar with it as you ride high/higher and don't feel entirely connected or have as solid connection between boot and binding as you would expect from an alpine binding.
Happy to be corrected if this was just my weird experience but if I was going out to buy a set-up that would cope with small hikes where weight of the ski/boot/binding set-up isn't such an issue and the width of the ski also isn't an uphill hinderance, I'd be seriously looking at Endorphins, Matras with Dukes.
I hope it works out...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
ski, good tips thanks a lot. I does sound like a real fun course and with very little "BASI" pressure. I dont live in Mottaret full time (got 7 weeks last year) but do know the courchevel valley fairly well and have done some hiking there with proper maps. Will definately read up on navigation and get the maps out to practice and to know the landmarks. Have a tranceiver so can have a bash at that as well. I would like to be up to speed on the basics so i can enjoy being out in mountains..
Good to hear it isnt focused on off piste performance, i am okay but havent had that much time off piste. On boots i have very narrow feet and struggle to find a good fit. also have some bone spurs due to badly fitting boots and i dont want to aggrivate those so may have to suffer in my alpines but will certainly try to hire some AT boots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
skimottaret - my ex-next door neighbour in Morzine (who has done the course) told me that GPSs are banned, but that you're allowed to have a altimeter and it's very useful to have one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
PhillipStanton, thats a real good idea, but more stuff to buy 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
PhillipStanton, i have to admit to looking at the Suunto watch site for geeky altimeter/compass/thermometer watches... you are bad man suggesting i need an altimeter, my credit card is already getting nervous 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
skimottaret,
The guides on our coruse did have GPS, and although you're not allowed to use them to assist on the course, they did talk about the benefits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
beanie1, dont you start as well i will end up with every gadget known to man  Seriously i thinkn a gps for skiing is a step too far for me...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| skimottaret wrote: |
| PhillipStanton... you are bad man... |
Indeed. There's always the ultra-geeky Suunto GPS watch. Mate of mine swears by his...
| skimottaret wrote: |
| Seriously i thinkn a gps for skiing is a step too far for me... |
I must admit that I generally carry one if I'm skiing somewhere where it would be useful to know one's position in an emergency.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
PhillipStanton, I could pack my TomTom i suppose
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do you need to be able to skin before doing the course i suppose? Is splitboard accepted?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
maddrifter, splitboard is fine. You should be able to skin before turning up on the course, but it's really not hard. A couple of days experience would be fine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Thanks mate!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's a fun course, so is the EMS - worth looking at the map in prep, where are you now skill, identifying convex/concave, steep slopes and so on.
Some knowledge of avalanche safety is beneficial, snow structure, weather obs, triggers etc
You need to take and Altimeter for nav skills
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Actually you don't need to be able to skin before you start. The course is an introduction to skinning, out of my group over half had not skinned before.
An Altimeter isn't essential but obviously can be helpful. However if you're paying attention you should be able to work out whereabouts you are on the hill anyway.
It is a great course, you will have a lot of fun
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Had a split-border in my group when I did it. Some of the most beautiful and tidy riding I've seen... Two or three times each day he had to take a slightly different route to us (skiers) on descents, usually to avoid flat-land traps. Knowledge of resort / area was especially handy to him for that. Assessors were absolutely fine with it but he would always politely ask if they minded.
As regards skiing ability, basically you have to be able to keep up; by no means does it need to be perfect. I think our assessors / trainers were L3s in terms of their own actual skiing quals (guiding being the key ones for them). Avi and mapwork are the keys to success. Get out there with maps and walk / practice lots of searches.
Hi Pete88, btw. (Hemel / adaptive last summer...). Hope all's good. Mountain Safety is like you say - great fun! Hard work too, and you do learn lots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
