Looking back through the rose’ tinted mists of time remembering the infamous Solaise bumps. It was spring time and some people were skiing in jeans. The lifty at the bottom of the Poma sat in the sun, smoking, listening to the Stones on a cassette player and grinning at everyone having fun flying through the air and falling about.
30 years later and the lift and the bumps have gone and the whole slope is groomed to dull perfection.
When the sun shines the fat ski crowd mope about waiting for their next powder fix.
It doesn’t have to be like this:-
Perfection for me is a field of moguls next to a groomed piste. You get to hit the moguls and really work the legs and technique...then cut back on to the piste when your legs say "OK, enough of that" or you discover they are ice mogals.
I've skied the PdS many times but never felt the need to ski the Swiss wall. Am I confident I could do it? Yes. Am I confident I'd stop enjoying it about 1/4 the way down? Yes. Can my ego take someone saying "If you think you can ski it why don't you prove it?"? Yes, generally by replying "You do it if you want, I'm going to take the chair down and have a coffee and some cake.".
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Mjit,
Some pics of the Swiss Wall which we took at half term on our way back up after having skied ugly down the slope. The ride up is quite entertaining watching people tumble and fall!
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
fizzer wrote:
Sorry lasted all of 13 seconds unti he said sick local shredders. Are they too ill too ski or something?
It’s tongue in cheek
After all it is free
After all it is free
After powder, bumps are my favourite .
But twas not always the case ... until I could get the necessary turn speed and control to ski fall line I didn't enjoy them.
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I've never skied the swiss wall (hardly skied the PDS) but have to say that looks fun.
OK those traverse lines look fairly disgusting but after that...
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I went to the Swiss Wall with my son and a mate of mine, after looking down from the top I said, "Stuff that".
However, my son was insistent on doing it, I relented and the 3 of us went down it, I didn't want him to go on his own just in case something bad happened.
Anyway, it was actually good fun, I only had a minor stumble so was quite pleased with myself. It was definitely one to do on fresh legs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Ozboy, that looks fantastic. Wish more resorts had runs like that.
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.
And this is the bar / restaurant directly above the wall - pumps our house music and sax. Great place to stop before / after taking on the wall.
The entry is much scarier as you cannot see the the run by looking down. There is no groomed option and it’s normal to download. Bumps to skiers left are better formed and smaller. The ones under the lift are the size of Fiat 500’s
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Came up the Wall yesterday. One party of 4 had an unusual technique to avoid skiing bumps. Fall over and slide 100m on your ar$e whilst hoping your skis end up stopping somewhere near where you are.
Bumps at the top are very big and the natural line takes you skiers right which is the steepest bit (and where the little cliff is). Best bet is make a couple of turns (ugly as you like) and then traverse left a good way, the angle there is a bit gentler. Or take the chair down.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I once accidentally ended up on a mogul field on a run at Lake Louise. Somewhere off the back down towards Temple Lodge. To say I was terrified would be an understatement, as most of them were bigger than me. I couldn't see my family ahead of me. Soon managed to get off, but it put me off for life. However, when they are nice and soft in Spring sunshine and reasonably small I quite enjoy them.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I've done the swiss wall but the moguls were nowhere as bad as seen in these pictures.
My son and I did it once then decided to repeat, then my binding pinged out of the ski.
My lad felt like a hero as he carried my knackered ski back to Le Pleine Ciel in Champery, then came back with a pair of "Big Foot" to get his old dad home.
I wish I could still ski like that.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I used (1990 ish) to dissuade my clients from the wall as I reckoned personal protection by not exposing myself to self propelled missiles from above was more important than their bragging rights.
In any case, Machon is tougher if not steeper and if you want steeper there are a few couloirs nearby.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Anybody still have their Jet Stix? Wayne Wong, are you still out there?
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?
Great to see some proper skiing for a change
Memories of the White Lady in April and the legendary Trifti bumps off the Gornergrat in the sun.
Soft spring snow. Fantastic
Done the Swiss Wall a few times when the moguls were at least as big as those pictures. No mishaps. Back in the PDS next week but no great desire to do it again. Been there, done that...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Since a lot of skiing accidents seem to occurs due to skiers going too fast for their ability I was thinking of a way to slow them down. Then it came to me in a flash - speed bumps. Allow bumps to develop on blue pistes and the accident rate will go right down.
Am I the only one who feels safer on a steep black mogul field than a crowded blue run?
I once accidentally ended up on a mogul field on a run at Lake Louise. Somewhere off the back down towards Temple Lodge. To say I was terrified would be an understatement, as most of them were bigger than me. I couldn't see my family ahead of me. Soon managed to get off, but it put me off for life. However, when they are nice and soft in Spring sunshine and reasonably small I quite enjoy them.
I put at least one in one of my trip reports. Not so much a mogul field as Ypres frozen over and slanted. Damn thing was marked as a blue, too. Savage.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
johnE wrote:
Since a lot of skiing accidents seem to occurs due to skiers going too fast for their ability I was thinking of a way to slow them down. Then it came to me in a flash - speed bumps. Allow bumps to develop on blue pistes and the accident rate will go right down.
Am I the only one who feels safer on a steep black mogul field than a crowded blue run?
Definitely not - with you 200% - far safer.
fizzer
fizzer Guest
Themasterpiece wrote:
fizzer wrote:
Sorry lasted all of 13 seconds unti he said sick local shredders. Are they too ill too ski or something?
It’s tongue in cheek
Thank you so much for enlightening me
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I wouldn’t bother again with the Swiss Wall. It was great to tick it off when I hadn’t done many weeks skiing. We were stupid enough to go and do it a couple of times each time we went there. Until the last time when the moguls were so big there seemed to be an overhang. Maybe that was always there... As others have said the top is almost so steep that you need to use the moguls as stairs - I didnt see anyone taking anything approaching the fall line at the top on my last visit.
There were loads of moguls in Les Arcs over half term and while I pushed myself onto most of them I realised that all the work I had done in the gym only got me 3/4 of the way down the longest field (Comborciere - which isn’t very steep, but very long with no bailout) before I ran out of steam, technique (such as it is) went out the window and I traversed my way down the last 50 metres and went for a long congratulatory lunch in Bellieu Fumee at the bottom.
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That's real skiing - wish I could do it with style. Anyone can ski a groomed black.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I am a big mogul fan hence the username! Another yes for Les Arcs and under the Varet bubble. Also Tortin in Verbier, Col de Leisse in Tignes, under the Tommeuses chair in Val d'Isere plus La Face, Grand Montets in Argentieres, Mont Vallon in Meribel but not skied it for decades. Often steeper fields like Tortin and the Wall are ruined and unskiable at the top because of the "wimps" paths. @Bertie G can you not still break right at the bottom of the Solaise old mogul field and come down through the trees, they were always epic. Conditions allowing off to Les Orres for a few days at the e/o the month, not expecting to find any "bosses" there!
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.
@Dorset Mogul, The only bumps I have seen in the last few years have been in Puy st Vincent which has 2 good bump runs.
Competitions can be a bit clinical but this looks great - http://youtube.com/v/eCjjw1jp1FI
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Well guys think I'm going to have to trump the lot of you
We're on our way back from Colorado where we skied Winter Park and SteamBoat, and Winter Park is World Famous amongst US skiers ( well they do call it the World Series ) for them.
"There's no better place to bump it up than at the home of North America's best natural bump runs"
They have regular bump camps!
Like in the image above, you see these skiers wearing white pants and black patches, shin to knee, and that's so the judges can see how they legs are working, and can these guy ski or what!
The only issue as I saw it was that there were loads of trails covered in bumps that hardly anyone was skiing!
We got into discussion with one guy on a chair after I asked him if his Dynastar skis were mogul skis (thin and relatively short), he said that he'd bought three pairs as they were being phased out, he also said how many of the US Olympians came to ski the bumps at Winter Park, and how a few years ago you could only ski certain bump runs if you had the right skis so as to keep the bumps in pristine condition!
Our pics
We did avoid them, our excuses being anything from being on fat skis, to knackered knees and too feckin old, that said in the very very old days I did do Ali Ross ski courses and moguls was a big thing way back then, but as the guy I talked to on the chair, he said the Euro's are just not into it any more.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Weathercam - yes you definitely win. Nothing like that in Europe that I have skied. Thanks @Bertie for the Puy St Vincent tip. That looks like a great spot, I will put that on the list.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
Mont Vallon in Meribel but not skied it for decades.
That is where I learned to love them. Soft and slushy in April. Get a (sort of) rhythm going and a tune in my head.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Dorset Mogul, just to be pedantic, although i can imagine you meant the whole area, but the Grands Montets is an area, not a run (or lift).
And, yes, lots of nice bumps. Mind you there are some nice pitches on Pic Janvier (Flegere) and the lower part of Cornu (Brevent).
TBH, I can't think of many areas that don't have nice bump pitches. Not as many evident as in 1990, but certainly a good number. The problem of course is that even fewer skiers know how to ski them these days as in 1990...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Orange200 wrote:
Hells Bells wrote:
I once accidentally ended up on a mogul field on a run at Lake Louise. Somewhere off the back down towards Temple Lodge. To say I was terrified would be an understatement, as most of them were bigger than me. I couldn't see my family ahead of me. Soon managed to get off, but it put me off for life. However, when they are nice and soft in Spring sunshine and reasonably small I quite enjoy them.
I put at least one in one of my trip reports. Not so much a mogul field as Ypres frozen over and slanted. Damn thing was marked as a blue, too. Savage.
OK now I'm on laptop I can check the maps. Get under the Paradise chair and you will have a run of bumps to your thighs' content; much like in the pic Weathercam posted, but I suspect longer, and few trees to guide if it snows. I used to do them on a board when I was a lot younger. We would go up Paradise the last few years and watch the skilled people, the masochists, and those fooling no-one but themselves, coming down (no way am I dumb enough to do them on skis at my age).
The Frozen Ypres On a Slant that I referred to is Bobcat. Short in terms of metres top to bottom, but a lifetime getting down it, with trousers, thigh muscles and dignity all shredded.
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?
Dorset Mogul wrote:
@Weathercam - yes you definitely win. Nothing like that in Europe that I have skied.
Large parts of the Avoriaz area were like that last week - the Swiss Wall, both the blue and red freeride areas off the Fornet, the black under the French Mossette chair, and also the black under Grandes Combes chair. Of course that's just down to the specific conditions they've had this season and not as predictable as a lot of US resorts, and no guarantee they will still be like that next week.
@Weathercam, That looks awesome and nice gradient.
Agree with @Mjit, lots of great bump runs in the PDS at the moment... the black Les Renards in Chatel is 1.3km of steep bumps under TS Chaux Rosses. Quite a few world class mogul athletes coming from this area including some elite junior Brits.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
My French girlfriend loves the things so I have to hit them with her In order to not make a complete dick of myself I don't avoid them here to practise.
Had some nice ones here this year and found quite a few in Serre Chevalier and Alpe d'Huez.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 6-03-19 13:46; edited 1 time in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
So cool. The kids need to see that
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Loving these old vids, Plake was a legend, particularly love the smoking scene! Not skied Chatel @Ozboy, sounds like a i need to get out there.
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Back in the 80's, the Triftji Bump Bash was one of the biggest events on the calendar, sadly as the glacier retreated, a massive rock started appearing in the middle of the slope and killed it off due to not being able to create an official course with the right length/gradient.......
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