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Kimberley and Panorama

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi, we are off to Kimberley and Panorama on next week for two weeks. I am an intermediate skier, but it has to be said I am a bit of a coward so the words black run are inclined to worry me, although when my OH has fooled me into going down them I have been fine. The Ingham brochure has the runs graded like the European runs, so they have the Black diamond as Red and Double blacks as black. Is this realistic? Also which are the easier blacks and which ones should I avoid, I have already told OH that I am not touching Taynton Bowl at Panorama Very Happy . At least with all the snow they seem to have I will have a soft landing when I fall over.

Thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Panorama is said to have its best conditions in years right now. They've had around 60cm of snow in the past week, on top of a solid (meaning near ice) base created by some rain around dec. 24. 110 Runs open. Don't know much about Kimberly, but some black (Canadian Black) runs you could probably attempt:

Fritz: Essentially a blue, but a short steep pitch at the bottom. Groomed almost daily.
Schober's Dream: A panorama classic, may be groomed or moguled. Some steep pitches and some rocks, but the run is cut wide, and a cat track trail traverses the biggest steep pitch if you need it.
Downhill: Like Schober's Dream, but a bit steeper and more moguled.

After that, the blacks off of the Summit Quad, Tacky, Stombock's, and Founder's Ridge area are more difficult. More hazards exist on these runs though (ie. rocks, stumps, etc).

If that is still now enough, try Extreme Dream runs like Elmo, Latte, or Dunes.

Then Extreme Dream runs like Gunbarrel, Trigger and Orca.

Finally, venture Taynton Bowl.

Aviod Taynton Bowl and Extreme Dream if you have doubts about your abilities. Although there are areas that are only single black (Canadian Ranking), take a wrong turn and it is expert terrain. These areas are controlled for avalanches, but other hazards do exist (cliffs, tree wells).

I didnt really understand your question about the run rankings. Panorama ranks difficulty in three levels: Green (Easiest), Blue (Intermedeate) Black (Advanced) Double Black (Expert).
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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?
You will love Kimberley and in my view Panorama is a very underated resort. Keep out of Tayton but apart from that you should be able to get down everything else.

The difference between Europe and N.American gradings is overrated.
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Thanks for the info. I think I gave myself a shock after looking at the trail map in the brochure I thought I could ski everywhere with out worry, and then saw that 37% of the runs were black!! I think I might get an hours private lesson and get them to take me down some of the easy blacks to increase my confidence, otherwise I will be limiting the area we ski in quite a lot.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anniegirl,

I've never had great conditions at Panorama, but if what taynton says is true about their coverage, then you'll find plenty to ski within your comfort zone, and something to push the envelope a bit also.

You should be able to ski from the very top to the bottom (about 1500 vertical metres) on mainly blues and a couple of undemanding blacks (first pitch from the top is black, but unintimidating). (Added to which, the two interminable T-bars have been replaced with qhad chairs to the summit)

Fritz's is exhilarating. As mentioned above, it is mainly blue in pitch, but becomes a lot steeper at the bopttom, but by the time you hit that part, your confidence shoudl be really up, and you can whoosh down to the bottom (with a long wide run-out, so you don't have to worry about stopping too quickly).

Schober's Dream: what taynton says. I had a great time down this trail on my first visit, last time (3 years ago) conditions were too sketchy and it was closed.

Just to whet your appetite, there was a video posted on the Epic gear review forum by someone doing a demo at Panorama: check out: http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?t=34302 and scroll down to the last post for the link.


Kimberley has some great long blue cruisers down the front, with shorter and more difficult runs stretching across the ridge to skier's left of the main lifts. (These are served by a single, second-hand slow triple chair). But ala in all, nothing too much to worry about.

The only downside: going with Inghams means 5 am transfers Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad
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Thanks for the recommendations, we are back and had a brilliant time. Found lots of nice blacks which were great for my confidence.

Founders Ridge in Panorama in thigh deep powder was brilliant. It was our first time in powder that deep so we fell over alot, but it was great fun Very Happy

The accommodation at both resorts (but especially Kimberley) was first class.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
When I was in Panorama it was fairly icy. I think you'll find things to do in the Taynton Bowl. There's another bowlish sort of thing at the other end of the mountain which is much gentler and will give you an easy intro to unpisted in bounds skiing (if you need one).

As to the grading, it differs from resort to resort, as in Europe. To the extent that one can compare, I'd say a black at Panorama is like a European hard red/easy black, with double balcks taking over from there.

Don't know Kimberley.
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