 Poster: A snowHead
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You may like to join up with these boys as they ski down the Caroline Face of New Zealand's Mt Cook.
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| The Caroline Face consists of wind-polished ice bulges and ice shields interlaced with ridges and furrows of snow and rock, the paper said. A 150-metre ice cliff divides the face halfway down. |
See you at the bottom? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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achilles, Shame there are no pix of the planned route. As usual the press report says nothing about skill, and only suggests that they're loony daredevils - I'm sick of it! They must be extremely skilful, and a little mention of the years of training to be able to consider it might save any number of lives.
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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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here's a pic of the face in the summer.
still trying to find a winter pic.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mount Cook is serious stuff. Anyone who climbs it (let alone skis a serious descent), particularly in winter, has my respect
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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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| achilles wrote: |
| Mount Cook is serious stuff. Anyone who climbs it (let alone skis a serious descent), particularly in winter, has my respect |
. Really high experience, skills, and fitness levels needed.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Previous mountaineering experience is essential. Participants should have a solid background in the use of crampons and ice axe. They should be
- exceptionally fit, e.g. long distance runners
- well coordinated and have the ability to learn new skills quickly, e.g. steep ice climbing technique
- mentally strong and well balanced to cope with an extreme environment and height exposure
- in very good health.
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For mountaineers this isn't actually that big a deal, especially when you consider you can learn the ice climbing skills required while on the hill. Anyone with alpine climbing experience would have a reasonable chance unguided.
Skiing it OTOH is an entirely different proposistion.
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Yes but similar things happen every year in this country, that was the weather (which can happen everywhere) not technical difficulty.
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| Almost exactly 20 years on one of the pair, Mark Inglis, returned to the mountain. After one abortive attempt, he climbed it, using a pair of prosthetic legs |
Without meaning to demean this achievement which most have been extremely stressful mentally before contemplating the physical effort required in this case. By comparrisom of technical difficulty I couldn't see anyone climbing the North face of the Eiger, North Face of the Matterhorn or Walker Spur of the Grand Jorrase after a double amputation.
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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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I take your point. Never done anything like any of them - hardest winter climbing for me was being led in snow gully climbng in Glen Coe. This site rates the Mt Cook climbing technical difficulty as "moderate" (though that must depend on the route). Fantastic pictures, BTW. Makes me wish I was younger - and fitter.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Phew!  I'd forgotten that one. Thanks for the reminder.
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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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stanton, Missed that one before - brilliant
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stanton, That's all very well, but where was the chairlift? 
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You know it makes sense.
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stanton, Missed that, but very impressive. However the shots of them skiing don't seem to tie in with the description of the Caroline Face, so was that a different expidition?
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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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I'd like to see it...
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Poster: A snowHead
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easiski, it must be something different, as the report says they are about to try it later this week, and there's also a very clear implication that it's never been done before. I do think though that the "absolute top end of extreme skiing" and "chance of success at between 5 and 10 per cent - "if you're an optimist."" quotes are an indication that this is not particularly run of the mill and goes a fair way in the direction of "a little mention of the years of training to be able to consider it might save any number of lives."
Interested that it's only considered a 3 day climb from Mt Cook Village, as it looks absolutely miles away when you're there (and you can't even actually see the mountain from the village).
Stanton's video looks great, and it would certainly be kill or cure for the vertigo, wouldn't it .
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