Before anyone says, a piece of string is 11.2cm long, I just measured it...
Yes, I know this is a bordering-on-daft question but I'm just interested in getting some views. In 10 days or so, I'll be heading to Flaine for a SCGB FreshTracks off-piste holiday. Until yesterday the snow situation was looking pretty dire and I was thinking that there would be very little chance of doing anything worthwhile off-piste. But at least 15cm fell yesterday and substantially more is forecast to fall tomorrow and Saturday, with the possibility of a little more in the week. What I'm interested in getting views on is how much new snow is needed to in effect repair the damage, give a decent new layer over what is presumably now a very hard icy base. (This is ignoring any ramifications to do with avalanche threat).
Not that there's anything I can do about it, of course, I'll have to ski the snow I'm given. But I'm sure people are familiar with the psychosis .
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I have my own little theory that compared to say fifteen years or more ago, with the advent of much wider off piste skis, much less snow depth is required than before.
Previously with thinner skis everyone used the old bouncy bouncy technique where the skis had to sink quite deeply to get a response. Modern skis naturally float nearer the surface and there is no need to bounce so I don't think as much depth is required.
I was in Val d'Isere the week of 14th to 21st December where leading up to that week the snow was dire. We then had a small snowfall mid week which meant for a couple of days we had decent if not memorable off piste conditions. I have had similar experiences in recent seasons. Just how much snow depth is needed I am not sure but I suspect not as much as we used to think.
I am not an instructor so I may be talking complete rubbish and I would welcome the views of those that are instructors to see if they think that I might have a point.
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?
It's more than the amount of snow that falls that impacts skiing as well. Snow gets blown around all over the place, so you can get 'fresh' snow that's not all that fresh.
Keep the faith - in my experience, guides have a knack of finding something half decent even in poor conditions, and if it really is that bad, you can jump in a car/bus/taxi and go somewhere else, that perhaps has better conditions.
I've come to realise that off piste skiing is more about getting away from it all, and enjoying the mountains, so I don't concern myself too much about what conditions are like, other than to educate myself on avalanche risk... If it's crappy, enjoy the challenge and try and learn as much as you can about how to ski it for next time! Might be more fun!
The underlying terrain makes a difference, regarding how likely you are to hit rocks. To over-generalise, Austrian terrain tends to be smoother than France, so 50cm in an Austrian resort might be ample, whereas you'd have difficulty finding a route through the rocks in Chamonix with that depth. I think Flaine is fairly rough under the snow, so would need a reasonable depth
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Several recent threads have spoken of being out with French guides who have found some enjoyable conditions despite very unpromising-looking surroundings. If the people running the course are good enough, it'll probably be fine. And coping with the crap on the way is all part of it, isn't it?
And it's gonna snow this weekend......
After all it is free
After all it is free
I'm sure you're right, Pam. It looks from the historical snow reports on the SCGB site that snow depths in Flaine are now what they would normally be in the 3rd week in December. But I daresay people often have a decent time skiing then off-piste in Flaine, if they get a fair dump on the day.
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.
Quote:
if they get a fair dump on the day.
and if they are with somebody who can ensure they don't fall down any of those famous holes.....
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
We'll be with the celebrated Yann and Diane, about whom I've heard nothing but praise.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I've seen a few threads from people who seem to have been finding reasonable off-piste. I think you'll be fine.
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.
I think this video http://youtube.com/v/uMyfX51p8Sk gives me the encouraging answer I want, as far as Flaine is concerned. This is from Les Carroz, from December 2013, when, according to the SCGB historical snow records, there was apparently rather less snow on the ground than there is now. Obviously there was a decent dump and the skier doing the filiming was able to have a whale of a time. I don't know how reliable the records are, though, but I assume they're correct and that it was a slow start to the winter there?
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Poster: A snowHead
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