 Poster: A snowHead
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I've never ridden into a creek, but I once had to implant myself Wile E. Coyote style into the far bank of what was a seriously big creek I failed to anticipate. My buddies were of course close, and when they stopped laughing they did not take 30 minutes to help me out.
I've helped rescue a couple of dry people and a couple more who needed immediate evacuation due to being soaked through in air temperatures of around minus 20. In my view the urgency comes from risk of drowning or hypothermia, or the situation getting worse as the victim tires or struggles.
I don't think the ability to learn from others' mistakes indicates "know it all" status.- It looks like everyone is heading the same way, so the person in front should be looking for and reporting on hazards to those behind. Possibly kids aren't up to that responsibility.
- Their protocol sounds like something people may use for piste skiing; it's not suitable for uncontrolled terrain as illustrated here. 30 minutes is a long time to hold your breath after a slide, or if your head's in a creek.
With reference to our logician above, I think there's a risk that some may think that possession of the toys is sufficient as opposed to necessary.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Gillon and Fox were on the BBC telly box this morning.
The father admits the mistakes he's made and wanted others to learn from it.
The 11 year said he jumped the hole and went into the snow bank, causing a small yet dangerous avalanche. The boy has already skied 40 days this season, which says to me he's very experienced for his age.
I've skied with children (only on piste) and wouldn't let them go in front, however sometimes they don't listen and will tear off.
Such a sobering lesson and it's made me think twice about skiing into off piste, that is at the side of the piste.
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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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Mrs NBT wrote: |
I've skied with children (only on piste) and wouldn't let them go in front, however sometimes they don't listen and will tear off.
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I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer to this (and, in my experience, nor do guides nor instructors, who regularly change who's in front depending on terrain).
Child behind = no line of sight, and a tough walk back uphill in powder if you need to go back and help them. Child in front means that they're the first to hit a hazard, and they've got a tough walk back uphill to help you.
You could argue that child goes behind as soon as you can't tell if there's a hazard, but in this situation, there was no visible hazard until it was too late.
I've skied the gully that features in this many times, and I ski off piste at Le Tour a lot with my kids, of similar age to Fox. I feel for the Dad and admire his decision to publicise what happened here.
The problem with avoiding anything that might have a stream underneath it is that then you can only ski ridge lines, which have their own substantial risks.
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Quote: |
The problem with avoiding anything that might have a stream underneath it is that then you can only ski ridge lines, which have their own substantial risks.
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In fresh snow with a risk of avalanche, I would stick to shoulders and minimise exposure to steepsided gulleys - they are classic terrain traps. Minimise exposure means cross them where necessary but don't ski down them. No?
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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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If you can ski into the gully and then back out at the bottom, back onto the piste lower down. You really should be asking why it's been excluded from the piste. There's normally a reason.
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jedster wrote: |
Quote: |
The problem with avoiding anything that might have a stream underneath it is that then you can only ski ridge lines, which have their own substantial risks.
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In fresh snow with a risk of avalanche, I would stick to shoulders and minimise exposure to steepsided gulleys - they are classic terrain traps. Minimise exposure means cross them where necessary but don't ski down them. No? |
Agreed re steep sided gullies, but there have been comments much earlier in the thread about not skiing anywhere there are streams underneath, which is a lot of the Le Tour ski area and many shallow-sided gullies.
Assuming this is exactly where I think it is, the gully is right next to the Solonges piste at Le Tour, and the hole was just above where it joins the blue cat track. In my experience the best skiing in this gully is on the shoulder slopes rather than at the bottom where it's pretty flat.
My perception is that this was somewhat like a tree well burial, i.e. because he was below the surface of the snow to start with, what was probably a D1 avalanche was nearly fatal. Makes me ask myself the (new) question - what would it take for this apparently relatively benign situation to kill me?
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This has made it to the bbc website with the following tag line
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-51738596/dad-rescues-son-who-fell-into-hole-while-skiing-in-alps
"Dad rescues son who fell into hole while skiing in Alps
A British father has been hailed a hero for rescuing his son after he fell into a hidden hole while skiing in the French Alps.
Eleven-year-old Fox Campbell, who is an experienced skier, was off-piste when he became trapped under 5ft (1.5m) of snow.
His dad, Gillon, used special equipment to find and dig out his son.
They spoke to BBC Breakfast's Louise Minchin and Dan Walker about what happened."
Quite some spin on it. I am not sure why/how the father is being labelled a hero, what heroic act was performed, who is calling him a hero? Also the interview plus clip of the rescue seems to gloss over him skiing away for half an hour and only finding the boy through sheer luck. And the rescue team and their message have been entirely omitted . A very strange "story" is being presented here.
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Astonishing misreporting.
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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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Come off it, it's the BBC, what else would you expect.
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Whitegold wrote: |
Astonishing misreporting. |
I guess the irony is lost on you...
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p085m6rc
Breakfast sub-site no longer mentions any heroics. But still not much mention of anyone elses involvement. Also if he was alone when digging as he says who was taking the snaps?
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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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Quote: |
Also if he was alone when digging as he says who was taking the snaps?
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Helmet cam
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abc wrote: |
Quote: |
Also if he was alone when digging as he says who was taking the snaps?
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Helmet cam |
A helmet which he takes off , then carefully places to centre himself in the frame of the camera before he begins digging for his son who has bern missing for half an hour?
Maybe a reconstruction then?
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 You know it makes sense.
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the full version (in the original post) says that he started digging alone but the alert was raised and he was joned by pisteurs secouristes
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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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ster wrote: |
abc wrote: |
Quote: |
Also if he was alone when digging as he says who was taking the snaps?
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Helmet cam |
A helmet which he takes off , then carefully places to centre himself in the frame of the camera before he begins digging for his son who has bern missing for half an hour?
Maybe a reconstruction then? |
I thought that some bits were reconstruction but maybe should have been labelled clearly.
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 Poster: A snowHead
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Written by someone who knows what they are talking about ? “shoe locks”??
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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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Well it is a Daily Mail journalist after all
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ster wrote: |
... Written by someone who knows what they are talking about ? “shoe locks”?? |
Those are funny. Falling head first into powder gets you a mention in a national propaganda paper, eh?
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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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robert95 wrote: |
Well it is a Daily Mail journalist after all |
Once had exactly the same situation with a friend in Kitzbühel. He also was ejected from his shoe locks and left with legs sticking out the snow head down in the powder. Would never have got out had we not been with him. Funny at the time but I guess it would have been serious without assistance, so the moral is don't go off piste on your own, at least not places where no one can see you.
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Steilhang wrote: |
Well it is a Daily Mail journalist after all |
Once had exactly the same situation with a friend in Kitzbühel. He also was ejected from his shoe locks and left with legs sticking out the snow head down in the powder. Would never have got out had we not been with him. Funny at the time but I guess it would have been serious without assistance, so the moral is don't go off piste on your own, at least not places where no one can see you.[/quote]
A snowhead assisted at an off piste incident where a women was buried head first and she died, so can be serious stuff.
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Lol.
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@Whitegold, you really are seriously fucked up son.
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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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Steilhang wrote: |
@Whitegold, you really are seriously fucked up son. |
Let me give you a tip, son.
It was staged
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Whitegold wrote: |
Steilhang wrote: |
@Whitegold, you really are seriously fucked up son. |
Let me give you a tip, son.
It was staged  |
Yes but he’s still factually accurate...
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BobinCH wrote: |
Whitegold wrote: |
Steilhang wrote: |
@Whitegold, you really are seriously fucked up son. |
Let me give you a tip, son.
It was staged  |
Yes but he’s still factually accurate... |
Don't think it's staged. Her head is a long way under. Would be brave to stage that, but what do I know.
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