Poster: A snowHead
|
Exactly - but I think there might be popcorn involved in that too.
As for our right to comment on it - its not a private exaggerated story told to his mates in the pub - it's clear he believes that heroes need to have an origin story (and there is some precedent for this e.g. the fake twee story made up about why Ebay was started) and has made it a major cornerstone of his public blog. So natural fair play suggests it ought to be largely true and somewhat verifiable. as everyone has pointed out its is almost the most incredible story ever told if all the elements are true. Of course he might just be a mate of Paul Nuttall.
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
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?
|
@Dave of the Marmottes, ...just to show how dangerous the mundane can be in terms of snow blockage to airways, we were just running a small off piste chute which gave into a large snow field, and Ant stacked it going into the snow field, ending up face buried in a bank of snow. I watched, vaguely amused until I could see him frantically trying to kick his skis off and getting nowhere, with the upper half of his body still submerged in snow. Realising that his movements were those of someone in profound distress, we set off rapidly to get to him. He managed to claw his way out just as we arrived, him using that intense burst of adrenaline-fuelled extra-strength-from-nowhere which is a remarkable survival response in humans. As he went head down, the snow had compacted in his eyes, nose and mouth, totally restricting air flow. He described the next 30 secs as simply terrifying, his arms had gone deep into the snow, and the pressure from his body had compacted the snow all around them, leaving him imprisoned. This is such a mundane scenario, doesn't give any kind of dramatic storyline, but in fact was very serious indeed. I'd have to embellish it like hell to make it anything other than something actually rather trivial, other than it was potentially life threatening. Trivial life threatening things happen all the time in climbing, and they make for no story at all. Damn, there goes my glasses, and Sh+t I have forgotten spares....I just dropped my boot down the mountain (joe Simpson), bang goes the Walker Spur...; er...did you bring the spare gas canister? No...right...down we go then. 'Let go the blue rope...BLUE!!!!...(leaving them 4000m up on the Raipul Face with no ropes...only finding a stash of Japanese ropes from 5 years before saved them).
The worst trivial incident, one full of genuine bathos, was that of a very prestigious climber, Kei Tanaguchi, who having climbed a number of 8000m peaks, went behind a rock to pee, slipped, fell, and died.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 30-03-17 22:31; edited 2 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
valais2 wrote: |
As he went head down, the snow had compacted in his eyes, nose and mouth, totally restricting air flow. He described the next 30 secs as simply terrifying, his arms had gone deep into the snow, and the pressure from his body had compacted the snow all around them, leaving him imprisoned. This is such a mundane scenario, doesn't give any kind of dramatic storyline, but in fact was very serious indeed. I'd have to embellish it like hell to make it anything other than something actually rather trivial, other than it was potentially life threatening. |
A guy died in Montafon a couple of years ago in similar circumstances. Powder day, skiing alone, fell over, couldn't get back upright. Mountain Rescue found him dead a few hours later.
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@djf, Happy Birthday
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@valais2, had a very similar situation skiing with a friend in Kitzbühel many years ago. He ended up head first in a snow bank. Had we not been there there is no way he would have been able to extract himself and would almost certainly have died. My take on it is just don't ever go skiing far off piste without someone there to help in case of accident. It doesn't even have to be something dramatic like this. A twisted ankle with you stuck down a ravine is enough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah - have to say any time I stack it in powder and end up with my head buried even for a moment gets the heart pumping pretty violently. It always makes me wonder how realistic the advice to be calm if if you are buried in an avalanche is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
At least the great advantage with going head first into powder is that you can often "swim" your arms a bit. Not so easy in Avy worked snow or if you get your arms pinned.
I've been in a treewell once and even twisting so I was head and torso up as I went in it was a tough 30 mins self rescuing. Always wear a whistle now.
|
|
|
|
|
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: |
At least the great advantage with going head first into powder is that you can often "swim" your arms a bit. Not so easy in Avy worked snow or if you get your arms pinned.
|
agreed - and even so I find it momentarily scary
Quote: |
Always wear a whistle now.
|
So do I
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|