 Poster: A snowHead
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If I'm only going to ski on piste, on prepared slopes (in Switzerland) is there any need to worry about avalanche safety, i.e. recco reflectors etc.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 21-12-06 23:15; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megamum, no. Fatal on-piste avalanches are extremely rare. Do be aware that on piste means between the poles and nowhere else though.
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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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Megamum,
Although there is a theoretical risk of avalanche onto pistes all resorts will do everything to minimise this risk such as blasting slopes above prepared runs or closing runs at risk so in pratice the risk is negligible but not zero.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Kramer,
Cant remember if they still do but in Switzerland poles used to be down the middle of the piste not on the edges.
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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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I'm sure I've never strayed off piste, but I can't admit to awareness of 'poles' I guess that's a bit naughty  . It sounds a bit like the coast guard patrolled areas of a beach where its safe to swim between two flages. Are these poles a standard colour etc. if I make a point of looking for them.
Oh, yes and the other minor issue is that if I was to use a drag lift to go up a slope I hadn't tried before (even another blue one) and when I got to the top I decided that it looked too steep for me do I have any options bar an uncomfortable walk down in ski boots?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Either learn how to sideslip or how to dodge the missiles from those who see you putting big foot holes in their piste 
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Sideslip - I stand with the ski's next to each other, but facing across the slope and then adjust the pressure on them so I move down the hill? Maybe this is something I can practice on the slope I can already ski next year. I must admit its a scenario I dread occuring.
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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 don't think I've formally been taught it, but I do recall finding a method of getting past the steeper bit of the hill when I came off the top of the drag lift for the second time (crashed and burned the 1st) and I think I must have done something like this. It wasn't the most natural of sensations. The problem the 1st time was that I could ski across the steeper slope, but couldn't convince myself that I could do the turn, I was scared I would get to the part of the turn where the ski's were facing down the mountain and then be going so fast that I couldn't complete the turn and would end up rocketting down the hill (like my 6 year old daughter did!! but she came out of it laughing!). Was that a lack of technique or confidence? Hence I somehow found a method of shimmying down that bit, probably using a bit of side slip of some description.
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Assuming that you can put your skis into a wide snowplough and can get to that position from a traverse by "stemming" out your uphill ski, then it sounds like lack of confidence, the classic "fear of the fall line". That is the point at which unconfident skiers will drop back on their heels, lose their plough and hurtle off down the hill as you describe. Learning to sideslip will not help you overcome that but it will give you an option to get down without turning into the fall line. Do you expect sliding down a mountain with long planks on your feet to feel natural? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Megamum, don't know what you're threshold is for steepness, but there comes a point where taking your skis off is a really BAD idea. sideslipping is the way
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| If I'm only going to ski on piste, on prepared slopes (in Switzerland) is there any need to worry about avalanche safety, i.e. recco reflectors etc. |
no, if in doubt speak to the local ski school or toursim about your concerns !
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You know it makes sense.
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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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When you have sideslipping perfected you can do some quite nasty tricks, the classic is coming to a stop from speed, typically you do a so called hockey stop wher you turn your skis across the slope and come to a sudden stop, usually in a cloud of snow, when you have mastered sideslipping you can let the skis glide sideways across the snow and stopping exactly where you want to.
(Not of course that I would ever have done this to other people making them think I was going to colide with them )
Seriously though Megamum, if you are not sure how to sideslip properly/safely get a private instructor for an hour to show you how, on a variety of slopes, it has to be one of the most useful techniques for a skier to have in his or her repetoir
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ah D G Orf, I see you recognised the location - Wengen of course 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yoda, Ali had more hair in those days! 
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Honored Yoda, I do hope you are feeling better soon - its rotten to be ill over the holidays. I did like the video of the sideslipping - he made it look so easy - I loved the flat snow he left behind - it must have been quite good snow to move like that. I suspect that the process is trickier if the surface is icier. It does look very useful though - I must try to learn how to do that - anyone know what 'sideslipping is in german!! They were doing it down what looked like a very steep slope, but I think most of his group were a darn sight more experienced than me. However, that's not to say I can't learn it though and it would be a way out of my "too steep to get down" problem.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ive only really encountered pure ice on one occasion, and i had no control... i was turning in and i hit the ice patch and i just slipped and fell, aaah well nothing too bad happened! Also slide-slipping helps when youre in odd situations such as being on a very steep part, 60° or so, i usually just go and try and ski down it and fail.. but thats just me.
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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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Yoda, the section where Ali shows the technique is on the Wengen Nursery slopes, the last bit where the group are sliding down a fairly steep slope is I think somewhere on the Lauberhorn, it's difficult to tell exactly as he's got an odd viewpoint, wherever he is I'm fairly certain that the runs no steeper than a red, I suspect that the cameras point of view makes it look worse than it really is.
Fortunately sheets of ice are usually obvious appearing Blue or Grey in colour and looking like glass, they usually occur on flatter sections of piste where the sun can melt snow into pools of water during the day which then set solid at night Megamum, if you encounter such a patch and cannot avoid it do not try to turn or stop on it, only the very hardest of ski edges will let you do so and even then it's not certain, the best thing is to let your skis run over the ice and turn afterwards, also try to avoid falling on ice, it is far more likely to injure you than falling on even the hardest packed snow
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BUT! Sometimes ice patches are covered with some snow from the snow that falls from up above... and ok.. i may have been exaggerating.. not 60°, more like 50°ish.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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An ice chute like that might be typical down Enver du plan or some such -which is where I've encountered it - and its a bum slide for 20 feet or so. Nothing else but a rope will get you out of that one. You may also have to cowboy over the glacial ice on Titlis for a short drop. Even with a snow covering you'll scape most of it off pretty quickly so at least you can see it to deal with it, but skiing? not as we know it, Scotty!!
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Im doing this with my hand.. and figured 45° doesnt look so steep on my hand... i think im going to stick with 45° as ive been in pretty steep situations.. theyre fun though. No protractor Just estimations so again, i could be very wrong.
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