 Poster: A snowHead
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This from yesterday's 'crisis/drama/disaster' piece in the Telegraph ...
Avalanche situation in the Alps ‘explosive’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/skiing-news/11406279/Avalanche-situation-in-the-Alps-explosive.html
| Quote: |
... the region head of the French mountain rescue service warns that the avalanche situation across the Alps is ‘explosive.’
Capitaine Olivier Cousin, of the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) in Briançon (the fortified town that is part of the Serre Chevalier ski area) made the comments after 1.5m of snow fell across much of France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy in a fortnight. |
It may be that Capitaine Olivier Cousin had explosives on his mind, as he reached for an avalanche bomb and an adjective.
In terms of Peter Hardy's prose, this is substantially toned down, compared to ... [13 months ago]...
Skiing off-piste: why it's too dangerous this season
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/10556567/Skiing-off-piste-why-its-too-dangerous-this-season.html
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This season it is simply too dangerous to ski well away from the controlled and groomed pistes of any ski resort in the Alps. I am not going to do so.
So far this winter, I’ve reluctantly turned down two invitations to heliski in Italy. |
| Quote: |
| I never thought that I would live to write that. But I write it because I want to live ... Like other professionals in the ski business, I’ve decided that it’s not worth dying for. |
And ... indeed ... Hardy survived the winter of 2013-4 ... to compose another avalanche drama!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 12-02-15 13:41; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Do I detect a tone in your post that suggests he is crying wolf?
If so I think you are very wrong....just because two seasons in a row have very dangerous snowpacks that does not make him either chicken or a wimp!
Even if that happened ten years in a row if it is dangerous then it is dangerous.
You only have to look at the avalanche death rate this year to see how bad it is.
You are right though....he did survive and far too many thrill seekers (and other experts) have not.
If I have misread your tone...then all is good.
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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.
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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Feb and April 2013
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The trouble with this kind of scare-mongering is that it just doesn't work.
Lots of ski mummies who had no intention of going off piste anyway will get all worried about their piste holiday.
People who actually ski off-piste will just think "that's ridiculous, what a tool" and ignore him. A more measured message about avoiding steeps, using guides, etc. is more helpful.
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@Karl Marx, no, I meant yours. Why are you hiding today?
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Not hiding. Problem with regular computer that carries my automatic passwords, but has been hacked by crooks.
David Goldsmith (as posted - last off-piste-skied in Feb and April 2013, in non-explosive conditions, and survived)
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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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| Quote: |
last off-piste-skied in Feb and April 2013, in non-explosive conditions, and survived
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so what? I don't think even Peter Hardy suggested there would be a 100% fatality rate.
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I hate reading Torygraph pieces because I won't pay to read them and I invariably find myself being blocked out.
So I made an exception.
I'm not entirely sure, @Karl Marx, what you're complaining about. I don't think he said anything that wasn't true and although I can't find any corroboration, I'm going to accept that Capt. Cousin did indeed say "explosiv".
Now, it may indeed by puffed up a little, but not so much, and they do only exist to sell newspapers. Just not to me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Karl Marx wrote: |
This from yesterday's 'crisis/drama/disaster' piece in the Telegraph ...
Avalanche situation in the Alps ‘explosive’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/skiing-news/11406279/Avalanche-situation-in-the-Alps-explosive.html
| Quote: |
... the region head of the French mountain rescue service warns that the avalanche situation across the Alps is ‘explosive.’
Capitaine Olivier Cousin, of the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) in Briançon (the fortified town that is part of the Serre Chevalier ski area) made the comments after 1.5m of snow fell across much of France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy in a fortnight. |
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copied verbatim from Pistehors.com; jeez you'd think these people could find their own stories.
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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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@davidof, well at least they went for a reliable source; they could have asked Karl Marx!
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| under a new name wrote: |
| I hate reading Torygraph pieces because I won't pay to read them and I invariably find myself being blocked out. |
Just delete the telegraph.co.uk cookie and reload.
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You know it makes sense.
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@laundryman, ah, good call, why didn't I think of that?
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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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For reference, the pistehors article (written by davidof) is ...
Avalanche situation "explosive" warns rescue boss [published 9 February 2015]
http://pistehors.com/avalanche-situation-explosive-warns-rescue-boss-23725115.htm
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| “It’s an explosive situation, extremely dangerous” warns Captain Cousin, head of the mountain rescue services based in Briançon |
The Telegraph article (written by Peter Hardy) is ...
Avalanche situation in the Alps ‘explosive’ [published 11 February 2015]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/skiing-news/11406279/Avalanche-situation-in-the-Alps-explosive.html
| Quote: |
the region head of the French mountain rescue service warns that the avalanche situation across the Alps is ‘explosive.’
Capitaine Olivier Cousin, of the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) in Briançon (the fortified town that is part of the Serre Chevalier ski area) made the comments after 1.5m of snow fell across much of France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy in a fortnight. |
So the comments of Captain Cousin seem to have been 2 days old by yesterday. And the current avalanche risk appears to be 2 levels down from the day (9 February) that he was originally quoted.
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Poster: A snowHead
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One week later ...
With half-term (the focus of the Telegraph article) drawing to a close, how does the "explosive" avalanche risk look today Thursday?
The headline and strap of the Telegraph article was ...
| Quote: |
Avalanche situation in the Alps ‘explosive’
Skiers and snowboarders should take extra care in the Alps over half term, as avalanche deaths in Europe reach the highest for five years |
According to today's national avalanche bulletins, the risk is generally one point down on what it was a week ago (when this thread opened): Switzerland is level 1/2, the Austrian Tirol is level 1/2 and the northern French Alps is level 1/2. The southern Alps are one point higher.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Karl Marx wrote: |
One week later ...
With half-term (the focus of the Telegraph article) drawing to a close, how does the "explosive" avalanche risk look today Thursday?
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2 more deaths this week in the Hautes-Alpes, another injury in an avalanche at Serre Chevalier and a CAF group hit by a large avalanche near the Col de la Bonette. Another big skier triggered avalanche today near the col du Tronchet in the Queyras with no injuries. These in the area Captain Cousin was refering too.
I have no comment about the Telegraph article but I think the Briançon mountain rescue have a fairly good grip on the local conditions which have been sketchy since November. 13 deaths out of a total of 27 over quite a small geographic area. In the global scheme of things it is not that important. Probably that many people die each day in the Ukraine or on European roads.
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