 Poster: A snowHead
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I was very sad to be advised by his son of the sad death, in hospital after a short illness, of flyer - AKA David Paul. David had a profound influence over my skiing since the 1980s. We first met sharing a room at La Daille at a RAF skiing championships meeting. For many years after that we skied a week or two together. Half a dozen or so years my senior, he was fitter than I, and a real challenge to keep up with - and it was in trying to do so that my skiing improved. The big leap for him was ski mountaineering. Out at Saas fee we met up with the ski club rep, who suggested we should try a day's ski mountaineering with a local ski guide group. It was a brilliant idea - and a huge success. It lead to a weeks ski mountaineering in the Furka Pass on (dare I say it, a SCGB holiday) culminating in an ascent to the Rotondo Hut. It was an experience not to be missed - but that as the end of my ski mountaineering career. Not so for David - he was well and truly hooked.
We did ski continue off-piste together, though - and took part of what turned out to be the forerunner of the SoPi Bashes (how that happened is another story). Eventually, I decided to rope in on gnarley off post stuff, but he carried on to the end - I know he had two holidays booked for next season, I am sure they would have been for high standard skiing.
I have very fond memories of a real gentleman, with whom long chairlift hauls seemed short as we chatted about how our families were doing, and what run we ere going to do next. He had a wonderful family who must miss him terribly.
I wish I had taken the effort to divert a few hundred yards and visit him last time I was nipping down the A1.
RIP, David
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@achilles, never new the guy but he clearly had an influence on you and for that my condolences. Its always sad when someone you know leaves this world.
Rip flyer 
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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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@achilles, I didn't know him, but what a lovely tribute.
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@achilles,
Sorry to hear.
From your words it is clear he is not truly gone, for he rests in the hearts of those who new him.
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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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RIP to your friend, he sounds like a great guy.
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Very sad news, @achilles. I did ski with him one week in Klosters - on the only Peak Experience week I have been on (which I booked on by accident, I was only 45 at the time). From what I remember he was a true gent, great fun and (given that the Peak Experience crew seem to have a high incidence of "characters") reassuringly sane!!! I think he had just come on from an Armed Serivices Champs somewhere close by and regaled us with plenty of the exploits from that week, sufficiently so that I was surprised any of them made it out alive. I think we had both just discovered touring that year or so and so swapped a few stories of our newfound interest...which he clearly took to much more significantly that did I (although I have had my moments  )
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