 Poster: A snowHead
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Sportinia chairlift in Sauze D'Oulx in early 1970s. I remember having skis measured by reaching up and they came up to my wrist. Leather clip boots, borrowed salopettes, wooly jumper, there was no such thing as a helmet unless you were a downhill racer. Looking back I can now see that I was attempting to learn snowplough turns on sheet ice and vividly remember the two broken legs in our group. Terrifying. It does make me laugh these days when I get on heated 8 seaters with perspex covers and free wifi and hear people moaning about something.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Another one for Val Thorens beginner button lift in 1995, a week of ski lessons with ESF. Ski instructor was a grey haired, wrinkle faced, french man who led us slowly from walking up piste and skiing a few yards to getting on button and chair lifts and following him through many white out days.
I did not fall over much in lessons. It was the afternoons following intermediate skiers, up Cime de Carron which I skied mostly on my backside with my skis 100 yards below me.
He did not say much to me (it was a group lesson). The only particular advice he gave me at the end of the week, was to miss a couple of levels as he said I was being held back. His summer job was a scuba diving instructor.
In a group you always go at the pace of the slowest learner. I remember some people in my group found turning particularly traumatic. Snowplough turns would go from snails pace, pick up speed, lean back, more speed, fall over, cry. Ski instructor had to walk back up hill to assist.
I was not crying, that was sweat and steam from my goggles from getting up from the ground....
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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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Capstone dry ski slope near Chatham.
Myself and 11 other mates all decided to learn on dry slope before hitting the mountains.
The drag would spool maniacally before pinging each of us in different directions.
The following year myself and two survivors made it to Chamomix. First disappointment was that the place wasn't covered in snow (people were wearing shorts). Second disappointment was the cupboard that apparently slept up to four people.
We had hired boards at home so we had the first afternoon at our disposal. We headed to the little slope in town serviced by a drag lift.
With our dry slope education we strapped in and did the shuffle towards the drag. Not being used to the friction free snow all three of us piled backwards into each down the hill and into the car park
We definitely brightened the day of the bored lifty. He did not conceal his amusement, at all, for the next two hours.
We also discovered that Chamomix is not really a beginner resort.
Several years later I was back doing the glacier.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Bracknell
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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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A button lift in Selva - I fell off!
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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 rope pull on the nursery slope at Knockbracken in Belfast (later Mount Ober, now houses)in 1984 or 85. My Dad was going on a trip with the rugby club, and being my Dad he had to practise at least once a week. After a while he started taking 10 or 11 year old me. You were not allowed on without an instructor unless you could already ski, so I was well prepped with Learn to ski videos and a demonstration of how to snow plough while standing in shoes in the house.
He gave me 2 minutes of a lesson and then left me to it while he went up the main slope. I loved it and that was that.
I can't see many kids getting started that way now though!
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My first would have been the Telecabin Express gondola in Tremblant in the late 90s, it should have been the magic carpet but it was closed due to lack of snow. So after a morning side stepping up what was left of the nursery slope, it was up to the top for us.
That was followed by the 4 man Express Flying Mile chair the next day while they alternated between the gondola and the chair, needless to say that wasnt welcome for my second day on snow!
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Rope tow at Kendal dry ski slope. Then the 'Learning Centre quad' tow at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire on a school trip in 1997ish I think.
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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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1966 Sauze D' Oulx. It was a single seater and as I think, the only method up, out of the village the queues went on for ever. But as a first timer, I didnt know any better and thought it brilliant
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Ski Rossendale tow for me. Hated it. Went up to the top on the pomma when I was pissed off with the tow ripping my arms out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Button lift at Sandown. Being dragged up the carpet was a lesson!
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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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My first ski lift was the chairlift at SkiDubai (where I learned). You had to use the chairlift before you learned to use the button lift... the button lift at Dubai is exceptionally steep and goes around a tight bend half way up... so actually needs you to be quite well balanced on the skis before you start using it. (Also due to the number of bratty arab and expat kids - both equally bratty - messing around on it, you're most likely going to have to dodge a few people falling off it etc on the way up)
All the same both lifts are pretty impressive constructions. Sadly the chairlift is extremely slow as it's mostly used as a tourist thing for people who just sit on it, go to the top and then come back down again. So until you're good enough to get on the button lift, you waste an inane amount of time sat on the chair. The Saudi tourists seem to get complete satisfaction in a few round trips of just going to see what the top of the world's biggest freezer looks like.
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The dry slope in Torquay, conveyor rope - killed my hands. Delighted with buttons and t-bars when got to the 'actual' Swiss resort.
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You know it makes sense.
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Summer of 76 Saas-Fee cable car. First skiing was at Hemel Hempstead dry slope in 79 can't remember if it was a rope tow or a poma.
But i can definitely remember the friction burns. Then Boxing day of 79 skiing in Aprica (t bars which i still dislike) so much better than a dry slope. Funnily enough i now live only 40km from Aprica.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Continuous rope thing with plastic covers attached every few feet, and serving the nursery slope in Zell am Ziller, early 80s. Not for the faint-hearted, as - if I didn't grab, and keep hold of, the plastic bit - the rope burnt through the palm of my gloves, over the week (although as a complete beginner I didn't know that wasn't normal......) The following year in Italy, the first lift was a button (not a t-bar) and I saw several people holding onto the disc and being dragged up the slope, due to not knowing how to use it. OK, I was one of them 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oldham Ski Owls rope drag. It's that old even a good trawl through google images draws a blank.
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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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| Quote: |
Glencoe 1967 ....... on this thing!
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skimastaah... awesome photo. thanks for sharing.
1st ski lift was probably poma at local dry ski slope; 1st lift on snow probably the main trainer tow at the lecht.
Can't believe all these lucky people trying snow for the first time in europe!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@homers double, Where (and when) on earth was that? I'm from Oldham and I have no recollection at all.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That would make sense. I moved down south in 1975. My next door neighbour went to Counthill in the 60s and I remember it being a bit hilly up there (clue's in the name I suppose).
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The Blue Bullet - Mount Buller, Australia - I was 15 on a school trip - the weather was awful, the snow cover crap and I decided I hated skiing and everything to do with it.......
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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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This short little chairlift or adjacent poma button lift at Mt Buffalo (Victoria) around 1978, with dad sitting in the car watching about 50 metres behind where this photo was taken. You could drive up, park, and watch your kids learn to ski.
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Harrogate rope tow in the mid '70s. Used to love it there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I remember going on this.
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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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@HoneyBunny, It was the button at les deux alpes for me too...in 2009....if you don't count the rope in Tamworth.
I think it's called the Gentianes and when I was there this was where all the ski schools started at the beginning of the week so there was a queue of about 200 kids.
I grabbed it, never really got straight, and fell off within about two metres. I was waved to the back of the massive queue by the disgusted frenchman. 
I made sure I didn't fall off the next time!
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Sunnyside, Glenshee.
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You know it makes sense.
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| nixmap wrote: |
I remember going on this.
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What's that a sledgenicular? How do they keep it on track?
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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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My first ski holiday with the school in 1963 didn't have a lift, well it did but it only went up about 50 metres and we didn't have the tickets to use it. Pirtisau by the Achensee.
I did get to ride a lift on my next ski holiday a chair lift in Damuls, I rode it perhaps three times in a 3 week holiday (we shared a point card). We normaly side stepped up our own piste at the back of the farm. There were 28 of us sleeping in sleeping bags in a few rooms.
It was great. Cows in the bottom of the house provided some heating. We had a tin bath that you could use once you heated the water.
I have been back to visit a couple of times to see if its still there, I never realised how tough it was to get there.
Its at "Haus Bomert"
I've just googled it and now it looks a very fancy place now.
Damüls 258
6884 Damüls, Austria
47.288310, 9.899799
Oh to be young again
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Poster: A snowHead
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My memory says button, but I'm guessing T-bar, at Uxbridge dry slope, circa 1985. For snow, something in Andalo, Italy, a few months later.
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FAQ
