 Poster: A snowHead
|
Droll article by Boris Johnson in the Torygraph. And the online version has some good comments too, including some from people who obviously think that skiing is a completely tossworthy activity. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/04/12/do1201.xml
I very rarely buy this newspaper and only did so today because it is promoting a campaign against noise pollution, about which I feel quite strongly - and that includes music blaring out on to ski slopes.
Sorry, BTW, if I have posted this in the wrong forum, not sure if it should have been chat, or resorts, or what.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Hurtle, I liked this in the comments section, quite apt for here.:
Question: What is the difference between an Alpine goat and a goldfish ?
Answer: One mucks around the fountain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, I was trying to decide if that was written by our very own Mr Goldfish.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Boris was out there last week, saw him a few times, skiing in a nice flannel jacket and shirt 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two of our lot swear they saw him in Lyon Airport April 1st
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
that would tie in then Frosty!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Thought it was a great article. He is my hero!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"that unbeatable feeling of distinction of prestige that goes with skiing a Black run"
What is the poor chap talking about? Having a "blond" moment perhaps?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| David Murdoch wrote: |
"that unbeatable feeling of distinction of prestige that goes with skiing a Black run"
What is the poor chap talking about? Having a "blond" moment perhaps? |
I assume he meant for a certain type of British skier which I thought was a fair observation. Actually the whole thing is quite a useful primer for all those questions that appear such as "I ski mainly blacks will resort X be good for me & my mates?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
I remember taking a "I can ski blacks and am bored of skiing with my parents "boarder down the grand colouir in fresh snow, he slid down on his back bottom, and I never saw him again 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| Frosty the Snowman, I was trying to decide if that was written by our very own Mr Goldfish. |
If only. It's quality stuff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Good article and very true...
In the last few years in Courch I can think of at least one ex-blue that is now a very very soft red. A red run last year that is now a black run (again very soft touch). And a red run (sandbag) which has now disappeared completely (Couloir des Belges)...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Having been to a smattering of resorts in France, Austria and Switz over the last couple of years I don't think courch blacks could generally be said to have been overgraded any more than blacks anywhere else I've been.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
slikedges,
| Quote: |
I don't think courch blacks could generally be said to have been overgraded any more than blacks anywhere else I've been.
|
Maybe it's a general trend, not unconnected with a growing tendency towards negligence litigation? If the resort under-grades, it is perhaps more likely to be sued when an injury occurs?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
How true, everyone knows that Courchevel is graded so that many of the mighty industrialists feel as if they have achieved something very very special. That said I enjoy it too!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Years since I skied at Courchevel. Don't remember any fierce blacks - but do remember the ridge to the couloirs (which I did not ski) looked formidable. It had a deep icy rut with some fierce turns in it along the top. Falling from the ridge did not seem a good idea.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 13-04-07 13:55; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I thought the path along to the Grand Couloir was pretty intimidating due to the potential consequences if you cocked up. No reason why you should but if you did, you might not stop for a while. The Grand Couloir itself, in good condition when I did it, was comparatively easy but definitely rated a black grading. Suisse run on the other hand was definitely red.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nickski, I thought that Suisse was graded black as there's normally a mogul field at the top.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
spyderjon, that's right, you can enter it from the top or, less steeply, a third down. When mogulled the top's definitely black, when not, there's nothing to it. Thing is, is there much to most unmogulled blacks if the snow's half decent?
Nickski, worth noting that sous le telepherique and emile allais which were once marked blacks descend to the right of the ridge to the grand couloir. The ridge itself is wide enough not to present any difficulty to anyone who ought to be contemplating doing the couloirs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
slikedges,
| Quote: |
| Thing is, is there much to most unmogulled blacks if the snow's half decent? |
Good question, I think there's a lot of slopes that are easier than their given colour if there's some nice fresh snow on them, conversely some are a lot harder if icy, scraped or patchy. I can think of a couple of blacks that I've done in near perfect conditions though that if they had been icy and/or mogulled I would have been in serious trouble that said I don't think these ones were supposed to be bump runs anway just extremely steep!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
re Grand Couloir the ridge is actually dead easy if you stay off the top of it and cruise along one side or other (L side is usually less corniced/easy). Its a steady sideslip/traverse, and a lot easier to control than the bobsleigh run on the top. The slopes left and right of the ridge both get skied lots and are a shade under 40 degrees, so we're not talking extreme...mind you you still wouldn't want to launch off the ridge unintentionally (specially when its brick 'ard underneath)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Over the years I have wondered about the logic behind Courchevel's / Meribel's grading.
We've been down the bumpy Combe de Saulire (red because it has to be to get down!) when it would be easier to go down nice smooth empty "M".
We have struggled with the top of Suisse when icy and bumpy which is again right next to "M". The Grand Couloir is definitely black in my book but is the Chanrossa?
Conversely, Georges Mauduit has been downgraded in recent years from black to red (and probably rightly so IMO) which might go against the insurance driven theory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A good reason to go down pylones and m is the sheer number of people on the red combe. Now my 6yr olds can do pisted blacks safely it's certainly less stressful for me than being amongst the barely controlled skidders and wannabe racers on the red.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
slikedges, had a look at those. Loads of people were doing the Grand Couloir but not many were doing those for some reason. (I assume sous le telethingy = under the cable car). Not sure why, you didn't even have to take the exposed path. I guess the Grand Couloir is something people want to bag. I did !
I was really impressed with Courcheval, there was loads of fresh snow when I was there. The grooming was very good and the off piste was definitely under skied. There was a load of good off-piste under the chair up to Loze coming up from La Tania. That's definitely on the to-do list.
Also saw two guys tramping up the side of a sizeable powder field quite a bit further round from the Grand C. It was going to take some time but they were going to get fresh tracks on a reasonable powder descent all to themselves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Grade DEflation is an issue in the Vosges. As I looked at the main resort earlier tooday I can report:
Green runs: Definitely green
Blue runs: Also green.
Red runs: green, with some yellow
Black runs: brown.
I wasn't able to identify the yellow flowers on the red runs, but the rest of the plant life was green.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
What's all this with black runs - there's nothing wrong with a nice easy blue!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Courchevel. Back in the early 80's there were 3 marked black couloirs, Telepherique, Emile Ellais & grand Couloir. The path along the ridge was a lot narrower than it is now, plus about a third of the way along overhanging couloir Emile Ellais was a wooden hut built on stilts out from the rock face, the path along the ridge, detoured around the outside of the hut on a wooden shelf with snow on it, with nothing but a sheer drop and rock below. It was a real black run then, now it's all sanitised, wide ridge, and no hut. The couloir used to be a relief to get to after the path.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| slikedges wrote: |
| A good reason to go down pylones and m is the sheer number of people on the red combe. Now my 6yr olds can do pisted blacks safely it's certainly less stressful for me than being amongst the barely controlled skidders and wannabe racers on the red. |
Interesting comments about some of courchevel blacks. I have skied M pisted and mogulled. M pisted is not particularly severe. Last year it was 6 foot bumps all the way and a definite black. I anticipate that the pistes are graded on when they are at their most challenging not when perfectly pisted. Again Suisses last year was mogulled.
Generally, I don't think Courchevel is lenient on its blacks to give its well heeled clientele a boost otherwise I think Grand colouir would be an off pisted iteniary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Megamum, I quite agree!
I agree with dan100. I have to say that I think the blacks in Courchevel are very variable - Suisses, for example, can be as easy as an easy red when it is pisted, or when there is relatively little snow, but horrible when it gets mogulled. Same with M, pylones and Jean Blanc etc. I think they are graded black because under certain conditions they become very difficult, and those slopes graded as red remain less difficult under the same conditions. It is a blurred distinction, and I find Marmottes (red), when mogulled, one of the hardest slopes of all, because it is difficult to ski and because there are bodies all over it who are attempting a slope beyond their ability in those conditions.
I have not attempted the Grand Couloir, nor do I want to. That is not the reason I ski - I'm afraid I like nice friendly pistes, and my favourite would be an empty blue or red (or even green) where I can let rip and just go really fast.
I think Courchevel have got it about right. Our trip to Austria (Kaprun/Zell) confirmed that slopes graded black there would not have made it to black under any conditions in Courchevel - they were relatively easy reds to me. The snow conditions were not good and they were bumpy and slushy, but still relatively easy, all except one (Black 14 in Saalbach/Hinterglemm) which truly was a black run - steep, icy, bumpy, slushy, rocky - all the ingredients.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
)
