This morning, my local ski touring group was treated to this gem featuring someone who is genuinely deserving of the term "bellend": Kleine Zeitung
This happened a couple of days ago at local ski hill Oberperfuss.
One of the drivers wrote:
That's enough walking on the piste!
Yesterday, ten skiers went over the winch rope. They were lucky that I didn't activate the traction, after the other piste groomer driver kindly pointed out that the piste is closed, he was beaten up with the ski poles, what's the point? If everyone on the mountain obeyed the rules, such incidents would never happen. I find it sad that people can't behave normally and even have to beat up an innocent caterpillar driver and then run away, we have nothing against the skiers but we all have to follow the rules.
This contribution can be shared. Maybe some of you will be more understanding in the future.
It seems that they were a group of ski tourers challenged by a driver for being on the piste while it was closed for grooming. Then it escalated quickly
Oberperfuss link to this video showing the dangers of getting too close to the piste bashers: (warning: the crash test dummy doesn't come out of this well!)
Stanton linked to a story the other day where two folk decided to ski down a closed run. They both ran into a piste basher, one was killed the other injured. Closed pistes really are not safe places. The folk who drive the various machines should be able to do their job without worrying about inadvertently causing serious injuries or having to deal with idiots on suicide missions.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Scarlet, ...when we were out on the bashers with Thierry, he was very clear that two late night descenders had been decapitated in Italy by skiing into a cable a basher was hanging on in the home pistes - little press coverage since it was a gruesome and resort-image story. But he was explicit about the immense dangers.
@valais2, you'd have to find a link to that story to confirm, there are too many tales in resort that don't turn out to be true (such as the Jerusalem piste in the 3V being named after Jewish refugees) but I can well believe it is true
can't read scarlets link, you need a FB account to view it.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@davidof, Sorry, it was a video just posted on FB. In essence, it looks like the driver stopped to "have a word" with the skiers before they got into a serious mess, and was thanked for his concern by being throttled, punched and hit with ski poles.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@davidof, you’re referencing my post re the naming of Jerusalem. What makes you think it’s nonsense? My information came from local St Martin history ...where is your evidence that I’ve been misinformed?
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.
I was royally told off one day after inadvertently skiing down the wrong piste - very poor vis, and I took the wrong fork. Piste was closed because it was being bashed - during the day, which was very unusual. The snow was quite deep below the bashers - two of them in parallel. The drivers had obviously been told to stop until I was well past so I felt a complete fool and skied very carefully - the thought of falling and their having to wait while I extricated myself was just too embarassing.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I have told off some skiers who were about to go down a luge track. The sign at the top just said "closed" instead of the usual "closed to skiers". One reason it was closed was that it was part way through being prepared and there was a piste basher parked on a blind bend completely blocking the track.
Have lost count of the number of races that I have been to where there has been someone zig-zagging up the race piste.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Can't beat following the occasional piste basher down the hill in Austria in late afternoon slush. The freshly groomed slush skis like powder.
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.
It's a no brainer that skiing into a piste basher is going to hurt! Anyone with an ounce of common sense would steer well clear.
It's not like they are camouflaged to blend in with the enviroment. Would these same idiots try step into the path of a double decker?
@Scarlet, Couldn't watch the videos. seems the link might have expired.
Hope they identify them. These are the sort of bellends that can give any sport a bad name.
Anyone assaulting a driver who is only trying to warn them of the dangers should be banned from skiing in that Country!
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
@Frosty the Snowman, +1, for following one down, particularly in poor vis. Wouldn't try to pass unless on a very wide section of piste, and confident that the conditions in front allowed me to ski faster than the machine.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
In the parts of France I've mostly skied, nobody is allowed on pistes which are being bashed. And pisteurs will chase down every piste after closing time to check there are no numpties around before the machines start. One young nephew staying in our apartment was on his knees proposing to his GF half way down the home run when the pisteur (a guy who lived opposite us, a taciturn Savoyard) surprised them. The lad spoke not one word of French but the situation was fairly obvious - the pisteur was amused, but required him to get his skis back on smartish and get down. The same bloke came across me struggling with a (met on Snowheads) family group who had decided on "one last run" against my better judgement. An eight year old girl who had been asked to do one run too many by her (enthusiastic but fairly incompetent) father, fell and hurt her knee a bit and was crying and shaky and absolute not up for skiing down. The guy just scooped her up and carried her down. Anyone arguing with any pisteur or basher driver is a tool. I did an early morning out with the pisteurs in Les Saisies and ended up with more respect for them than ever. They were really dedicated (and practically all local, unlike in the big resorts). And I love the relaxed way they ski, no poles, no hanging around, no drama.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@brianatab, Not sure what's happened to the first link, but the press have picked it up now and you can see it here: Kleine Zeitung
The other video should be working... In both cases, the issue is not so much skiing into the basher, but the winch cables they use which are practically invisible, especially at night.