100km Inc Lifts Non-Stop Piste Cruising Challenge

A snowHead

So yesterday a group of 5 of us skied non-stop over a 100km in around five and a half hours.

The group was made up of two septuagenarians, KenX, myself and my OH

Last season we set out to ski end to end of the Serre Chevalier Valley as many do and clocked up just under 70km.

This year most thought the suggestion of 100km was a good challenge, though were not too impressed when I mentioned no Cafe stops were allowed, as we could refresh whilst sitting in the gondolas.

Top speed was not on the cards I hasten to add, and when I bumped into an ESF instructor I know and said we were going for a 100km he started to caution me thinking I was talking about speed and not distance.

I should add that it's total distance and not just skiing distance.

Between us, we had various GPS devices, four of us the same watch, but there were still individual discrepancies which saw my OH and two others have to go and do a couple more runs whilst KenX and I had a beer Laughing

Top speed (not that we were interested) also varied wildly even between individual apps such as Strava, Movescount and the new Suunto App.

There was a great feeling of achievement in the group and five and half hours of activity is good in anyone's books.

My figures were 109.19km in a moving time of 4:56 and an elapsed time of 5:25 so faff time was only half an hour, waiting around and toilet breaks etc (when you're of a certain age they mount up).

My average heart was only 80bpm, half the rate when I'm cross-country skiing!

Strava track https://www.strava.com/activities/3013369283

More here on the blog and pictures and detail on how various strategies developed.

A snowHead

Cool! My girlfriend loves stats and strava and stuff so I'm sending her a link to your blog now.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You and Ken are septuagenarians? wink

(I know Ken is just a year or so older than me)

I did something similar a few years ago. Skied alone for about 5 hours and a friend joined me for the last 2. I was flagging and she raised my spirits and bought much needed chocolate. The track has been lost but I know it was 70km (skiing not including ascents) and 11000m of vertical. Probably about 120km in total looking at my recent ascent/descent ratio on ski tracks. Easier here probably as when it's possible a top to bottom is 15km/2300m.

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There is an annual charity event at Wildcat mountain in USA. They close a trail for the participants for the day. The challenge is 50 runs at 2000 ft vertical each run, thus the 100k Challenge. That equals 30k vertical meters. It takes a full 8-8.5 hours. Lunch on the chairlift, bathroom breaks in the trees. I’ve never been so tired in my life. But the 20 participants raise about $3000 each for charity so it was worth the pain

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

^ This sounds interesting (as does the 100km challenge). I don't often get tired when I'm skiing, even on long days. But I don't know if that's because I'm able to stop whenever I want or because I could ski for ages and ages and never need a sit down. I suspect the former... wink

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My Bro has a Garmin Fenix which is smart enough to notice when you are skiing vs when you are on a chairlift. We were very disappointed in actual skiing times!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@under a new name, yes I have some mates in Meribel this week, and they are typically one-week thrashers, snowboard/ski hard and drink twice as hard, and should know better at their age, and four out of the six have Garmin Fenix and record the number of runs and skiing distance.

I did challenge them to it but they're unable to go for more than four hours without a beer Laughing

Though I think the young racing son might be considering giving it a go judging by his stats today.

On my Suunto I was able to have that data on a screen* but then it does not upload to Strava.

*you select Downills Counter in Alpine Skiing Mode

After all it is free

I was thinking this was 100km on piste WITHOUT ski lifts.

I don't know how far the distances are, but I've done the Sella Ronda, the Portes de Soleil circuit (several times), and the 3 Valleys (4 furthest reachable corners of the map in order).

I use snow tracks and last year clocked up 77.6 miles, in one day including lifts. 47.6 miles skiing. But the duration was 7:52 so nearly 8 hours. I was knackered 14,880 vertical descent. That was in the trois valleys, and pretty much only blues and red runs. Don’t think we touched black.

It was a hard days skiing but not super speedy average speed 13.9 mph.

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100 km on-piste going bell to bell would be an accomplishment. The easiest way to do it would be to find a long blue (there are a number in the alps) of 10+ km and just do laps. One which springs to mind is the long, easy blue from the top of Cret du Quart at Valloire. I think it's 14 km (maybe less?). You could probably get 10 runs in by 2 p.m. so long as you just straightlined it. Kind of boring tho, would need some good tunes...

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@andyrew, I did state quite clearly that I should add that it's total distance and not just skiing distance.

And as I state in the blog I link to

For some actually skiing 100km not counting lifts, could well be the next challenge, and for sure it is achievable in a resort with faster lifts than here in Serre Chevalier but you would need probably eight hours at least. And no queues.

For me, it's actually not a great challenge (I get my kicks doing other stuff), but was great to see others enjoy the day and the feeling of accomplishment they achieved.

So for all those dissing it and saying you think you've done it etc take up the challenge and let's see the evidence then Laughing

I'm off out to do some real skiing shortly, XC skating, and that is far more of a challenge than cruising on the piste believe me!

You know it makes sense.

@andyrew, one wears lycra so willy firmly tucked away Laughing

And with my lack of technique can't say I'm too proud Sad

But it's a challenge

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Last time in 3V clocked 66 total km with my GF, who is quite a noob, when travelled on snowboards from Les Menuires to Courchevell and back. Another day clocked 78, part time without GF, to explover Val Thorens/Orelle side. 100 km is totally doable if you want to do that Smile

my kilometers were without any rush, with beer/lunch brakes etc. Smile

A snowHead

A snowHead

Were you bullied as a child?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Dave of the Marmottes, ???

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@KenX, The willy waving and superiority complex

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

It's indeed a nice achievement, easier in some places like the Arlberg where you have longer lifts.
I just checked my stats from a few days ago, was amazed to see how many km were by lifts. We went from St. Anton to Lech through Zurs and then to Warth, played a bit on light offpiste slopes.
It's definitively less impressive if I take the lifts out Sad

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@holidayloverxx, jeees get a feckin life

100km actually skied might be eligible for willy-waving Laughing

It was more about what a good day it was etc and a sense of achievement for the group not for me

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Weathercam, I was simply responding to KenX's question to DoTM. I agree that it sounds a great day out. The people I know who have done 100km skiing don't shout about it but it is indeed eligible for willy waving - if they were the sort of people who are snidey and patronising to those who are not as ambitious/fit/skilled/ as them. Thankfully they are not - unlike you who spend an inordinate amount of time telling us how great your achievements are like a swinging big dick and how crap everyone else is for not achieving at the same levels. Life is for living and enjoying in many different ways, not a competition.

How dare you tell me to get a feckin life. You don't know anything about me or a lot of other people here but you resort to puerile comments when we say something you don't like or want to hear in an attempt to demean or diminish us. You are a thoroughly nasty piece of work who I sincerely hope I never have the misfortune to meet. And I am far from the only person with that view on here - not that you care so you know what - just f*ck right off.

After all it is free

@holidayloverxx, as is so often the case you are always so ready to jump in making caustic comments, hence get a feckin life, if you can't handle comments like that then you should not have started the mudslinging darling

I now await the rest of your entourage to weigh in as seems to always be the case when it goes like this.

we done a pub crawl last week. 2x boarders & 2x skiers - we clocked up 32km & managed to stop at 6 different mountain huts.
Missed the last free shuttle & paid 20 euros for a taxi back to our chalet Laughing

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@Weathercam, Where did I start the mudslinging? Clearly you have a problem with comprehension

Andyrew: Enjoy the "willy waving"

DotM question : Were you bullied as a child?

Ken X question: ???

Me: The willy waving and superiority complex

BTW - mine was a statement of fact not a caustic comment (caustic comment - critical in a bitter or sarcastic way. I was neither critical, bitter nor sarcastic)

I think you'll find I wasn't the first to call you out

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What did Rhett Butler's say Laughing

You know it makes sense.

To be fair twas I that started the mudslinging in response to this:

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Dave of the Marmottes, sadly. I think he is.

A snowHead

@Dave of the Marmottes, I can take it from you as I think you're great Laughing

and you are right of course, as I do indeed throw is a lot of self-deprecating irony and wind-up it's just that some idiots take it for real rolling eyes

And @holidayloverxx, are you coming to Serre for the OPSB as I would like to meet you and you'd see that I'm not the c**t that you think I am Laughing

A snowHead

@Weathercam, I don't think you are a c**t . If I did I would have said so.

No I'm not coming to Serre for the OPSB. The reason being is that I don't do off piste (which of course you suspect) and I will be in my own place skiing with friends.

If a lot of what you throw is a lot of self-deprecating irony and wind-up then yep...it goes right over this idiot's head. You disguise it very well

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@holidayloverxx, at my age there's no way I can maintain the natural athletic superiority I had over the likes of people like @Dave of the Marmottes, back in the day so I have to pretend I'm still that person but it's an uphill struggle and even worse on the down Laughing

Now am I being serious snowHead

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@Weathercam, I'm 60 shortly. I am fitter than I have ever been - but that's because I am basically a lazy sod and for the past 6 years have had to keep at the gym after a knee injury (trying to put off the inevitable replacement as long as possible and succeeding so far). The words natural and athletic could never be applied to me.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@holidayloverxx, injuries happen to the best of us, only this morning we heard that a sub 60 woman that @KenX, refers to as the Gazelle is having a replacement hip op the end of the month, and another athletic guy we know here is four months into rehab after his and then have a mate out in March for his first ski since his complete knee replacement back in Sept and then there's someone else we know who had her knee replacement back Dec 1st and is missing ALL the season, and hubby is being a dutiful lady's front bottom and staying with her even though he still has his season pass Laughing

Many of the above were athletic and that's why something like the 100km challenge is great for people that maybe are not off-piste superstars etc etc, and it's something that's achievable and is in many peoples grasp and will be a sense of achievment.

How about pulling that back to on-topic Laughing

Bye for now

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Pah!
managed 100km and stopped for lunch in the restaurant too (although it was a pdq lunch stop)

Didn't set out to do it, wasn't even a challenge, and don't seek attention / brag about it. We got back to Arabba and the watch said 98km done, and the OCD forced us to lap the black to get it to clock over 100km.
So bin there, dun that. So what. No intention of ever doing it again. Certainly not going to start a "hey look at me and what I done" thread about it, cos I know I wasn't first, and I know others that have not only done 100+ in a day, but have done more like 130+ in a day too (including one of the sH I skied with on that day).

106.75km for those that like to drool over stats. Don't recall the exact lift/piste ratio, but had a feeling it was something like 40%:60% for those that are curious.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Here are the ski tracks from my 100k vertical challenge. Phone dies/froze about 2 hours early... that was a long day. "no clue how to add photos"

After all it is free

The only surprise here is that @Weathercam hasn't posted the exact same information in another topic too.

You know, just in case we didn't read this one.

I think we're all agreed that 100km or thereabouts including uplift distance is not particularly unusual or arduous.

Now, where are the posts from the real 100km in a day skiers?

I'm sure it's not too difficult to cruise to, particularly around the Courchevels?

Routes to be posted.

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(ps. I do notice that the title of this thread has been edited, after the event, to include "Inc lifts". Tut tut.)

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100km Inc Lifts Non-Stop Piste Cruising Challenge

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