 Poster: A snowHead
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hi,
Depending on whether it actually snows or not I may be taking a trip to Killington this year to see some friends over there. They have their opinions on diamond/double diamond runs, but as I have mostly skied in Meribel and Val D, could anybody tell me how the US grading system compares to France.
thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It won't help you to know this, but it varies pretty widely by resort. Many US resorts give up any pretence of absolutes by labelling their runs in relative terms: most difficult, more difficult, easier, etc.
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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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LeonardIV, As JJ says, just like in Europe, it varies from one resort to another.
In the US, you get several grades:
Green
Blue
Blue Black
Black
Double black
You may also get some resorts which have Double Blue (between blue and blue black), and then others which have Tripple Blacks.
For a very rough idea: (and I've been shot down in flames for suggesting this before)
Green = Green
Blue = Blue
Blue black = Red
Black = Black
Double blacks tend to be chutes, or other very steep unpisted runs.
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bloxy
bloxy
Guest
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The Americans tend to rate their runs more severely. Most black diamonds and double black diamonds whilst un-pisted would probably rate as red in the French resorts I have skied, BUT they can also turn out to be steep chutes or have difficult technical sections but are usually relatively short by European standards.
I love skiing in the US but it is part of their culture that they have to be the best so they will always build up their resorts and their runs as being the steepest, the deepest the toughest, when they are no such thing.
Most western resorts will have pisted most green and blue terrain to a very high standard.
US green=French green/blue
US Blue = French blue
US Black = French red
US Black diamond= French red unpisted/black
US double black diamond is unpisted = French black/offpiste
Remember the US resorts have a ski area within a boundary including pistes and off piste, you can ski anywhere within the boundary knowing it is patrolled and avalanche controlled and if you should have an accident your rescue is covered by your lift pass. In Europe any where off piste is potentially uncontrolled and unpatrolled. If you have an accident on piste your insurance will cover it if you are off piste unless you have the appropriate insurance you are not covered for rescue which will cost you.
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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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In killington in particular you should be fine - I skied everywhere including the single blacks open as a relatively nervous 4-5weeker. The double blacks, and anything unpisted are the ones to watch for, everything else is very doable.
This is not true in all resorts - like alpine resorts - they vary!
aj xx
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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bloxy, you left out the US Blue/Black from your list.
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Resorts I've skiied in Canada haven't been quite so clear cut. I would say:
Canadian green = European green/easy blue
Blue = blue/easy red
Single black diamond = hard red/easy black
Double diamond = difficult
All to be taken with a pinch of salt especially bearing in mind all the variances between piste gradings that are endlessly discussed here. Only come across one blue/black.
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This makes a bit more sense. I met guy that sometimes skis with our fun group, (although I had never skied with him). Told him we were going on a boys trip to France to ski and if he wanted could join he could. He told me that the previous year he was skiing black diamonds in the US.
Firs day out he just froze and could not make it down a red run. In fairness the conditions were not the best, heavy snowfalling. He spent the rest of the week in the apartment. I was suprised as I believed that black diamonds and double black diamonds were the domain of the Plake dude!!
Perhaps the US grading may be like the Dutch skiers tell the Norwegians that they are great skiers. Another generalisation  . but you know what I mean.
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bloxy
bloxy
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The US Blue/black is like a French blue/red but one half will be pisted and the other half unpisted or moguled. That is half the width of the run it doesnt chang half way down 
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bloxy
bloxy
Guest
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Because you ski within the ski area boundary quite often a black diamond or double blak diamond will not refer to a piste or a run but an area within the resort where there may be multiple routes to be found. Also some ski resorts grade the lifts blue or black. (for the terrain they access not because of the diffculty of riding them  )
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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bloxy, I can think of some lifts that should have been graded for the difficulty of riding them!
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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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| bloxy wrote: |
| The US Blue/black is like a French blue/red but one half will be pisted and the other half unpisted or moguled. That is half the width of the run it doesnt chang half way down |
What?
Where did you see a run like that?
I've skiied a few blue/blacks in my time, and they tend to be steeper than a blue, less steep than a black, they certainly aren't half and half!
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Roy Hockley, It all depends which resort the guy skied at, as each resort has different rating. If he could comfortably ski double black runs (chutes, shear drops and very steep off-piste) at snowbird then he would be considered an expert skier and have no problem skiing black runs in europe. It is not a mountain for beginners or even low intermediates as they would be only able to ski about 1/3 of the mountain.
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You know it makes sense.
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thats great thanks, been on their website but getting even more confused. I presume as I have done most of reds and blacks in 3valley and Val D, I should be alright. My friend's US buddies are telling him not to worry they will look after me, so it should be interesting! once again thanks for the replies.
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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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bloxy
bloxy
Guest
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| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| bloxy wrote: |
| The US Blue/black is like a French blue/red but one half will be pisted and the other half unpisted or moguled. That is half the width of the run it doesnt chang half way down |
What?
Where did you see a run like that?
I've skiied a few blue/blacks in my time, and they tend to be steeper than a blue, less steep than a black, they certainly aren't half and half! |
I think it was in Colorado; Breckenridge or Keystone a few years ago now, but they defintely gave the two options of a mogul run or a pitsed run down the same marked run.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's not at all unusual in N.A. (and not unheard of in Europe) to find that one can move seamlessly from a mogulled run onto a flat piste. I'm not aware that that's what 'blue/black' grade is used to indicate, though. In Breckenridge, it indicates a grade between blue (which tend to be pretty easy there) and single black, some of which are quite testing (for me, anyway) and often unpisted.
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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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richmond, that's been my take on it as well.
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Wear The Fox Hat, When we skied last March at Heavenly many (most?) of the runs were 'half pisted'. that is to say that the corduroy only extended to half the width of the piste, the other half being very smooth powder about 18" deep. it was fantastic to ski into and out of the soft stuff. I think this picture shows it quite clearly, pisted section is on the right, I think this is what bloxy is referring to:
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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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bloxy, probably Keystone. I seem to remember that being common practice there, when it wasn't at the other nearby areas like Copper and Breckenridge.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I haven't been to Keystone in years (last time I think a certain Mr M Bell and I were racing a NASTAR course on Snowblades...)
I'll ask their SSD about it on Sunday night.
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Wow! I just love the thought of 50% un-bashed pistes. So much nicer for snowboarders (except in the flat).
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crosbie, not unusual in N.America immediately after a fall, although once the unpisted stuff has cut up it's often pisted.
Doesn't Heavenly look ghastly in AxsMan' 'photo? Why would you want to go there? All that snow, and no people.
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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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AxsMan, looks terrible. They should bash that powder out of the way! (Hope to ski there in March)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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AxsMan, Fantastic idea and picture. Can we please learn from our American cousins.
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