 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Sounds like the sort of thing that can happen to anyone when trying a route for the first time. And once skis are off before crampons are on and hard surface can trigger a slip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Sensible outcome to an unfortunate event
RIP
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Really sad story. Easy to see how these things happen. Condolences to friends and family.
Not meant as a criticism of Mr Rowell but I would generally take the view that if you haven't got crampons with you then keep your skis on when descending. If you don't feel you can side step down then go up. Ski boots without crampons are a liability when terrain gets technical.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
It wasn't necessary icy as far as I can see from the linked BBC article. Just says he slipped. They decided against going further and he took his skis off to go back up.
Tragic but accidental.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
The BBC article is short on information and the photo is just some stock image from the wrong mountain range. The accident happened in the Flégère ski area. They were skiing above cliffs, the victim slid on hard snow and fell over cliffs and landed on his face. About a 25 meter fall. No idea of the exact location, maybe below the Floria lift?
Falls on hard snow/ice were been very common last season and this summer due to the weather conditions.
Falls from skiers and especially boarders who've made a route finding or route appreciation error in ski resorts are too common.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That's more information that the BBC or the other news sites managed - thanks.
Any idea of the total fatalities or fatality rate in the Cham area last winter, or even this summer?
A single fatality without knowing the overall rate lacks context.
---
| Quote: |
| Falls from skiers and especially boarders who've made a route finding or route appreciation error in ski resorts are too common. |
Borders (of which I'm one) may have higher risk because it's easier for boarders with less experience to get into bad places.
Plus with only one edge to play with, getting out again is definitely harder.
I'm very careful, but I've still been in a few places where I felt that there was definitely a fairly serious risk of death.
I feel fairly well equipped to deal with that because my background is caving/ climbing .... coming at the same risks
from the controlled environment of a resort may be a bigger step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| philwig wrote: |
Borders (of which I'm one) may have higher risk because it's easier for boarders with less experience to get into bad places.
Plus with only one edge to play with, getting out again is definitely harder. |
and soft boots are not even as good as ski boots when the snow is hard.
I don't have any figures to hand but I just noticed a lot more incidents involving falls late winter, spring through to summer. Maybe just anecdotal.
Not having any more details of the incident above it is hard to draw any conclusions about their route choice but clearly if they were climbing out they felt it was dangerous or they couldn't see an exit. It said they'd planned the route rather than just winging it so I wonder if it looked good from a visual inspection from the pistes but the snow conditions turned out to be much more difficult than they imagined. Trying to make turns on an exposed 40 degree pitch on hard snow is a different prospect from the same on spring snow.
I've been on slopes where even with crampons it was squeaky bum time front pointing up - doing the same - taking off skis and boot packing up doesn't bare thinking about.
and in the same vein, RIP Adèle Milloz who died at the weekend.
“Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end.” - Edward Whymper
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| davidof wrote: |
The BBC article is short on information and the photo is just some stock image from the wrong mountain range. The accident happened in the Flégère ski area. They were skiing above cliffs, the victim slid on hard snow and fell over cliffs and landed on his face. About a 25 meter fall. No idea of the exact location, maybe below the Floria lift?
Falls on hard snow/ice were been very common last season and this summer due to the weather conditions.
Falls from skiers and especially boarders who've made a route finding or route appreciation error in ski resorts are too common. |
Do you know when it happened? The BBC article doesn't even say that. My son and I were over in that area at Easter and the elevation and hot sun meant that the transition from ice to spring snow to slush was very patchy. I could easily see how you could go from easy conditions to perilous ones in a couple of turns.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@jedster, around 11.30 I think but don't hold me to that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
