 Poster: A snowHead
|
ok - took some advice before my recent trip - about attempting Sache (Tignes) and Face (Val D) (on the old - dare I say -SCGB site).
Got the impression that I should have a go at silene first in Tignes - and I'm sure someone suggested that Epaule du Charvet was worse than Face...
So second day - somehow ended up on Epaule - and it felt fine.
Next day - did "Le Foret" down to Le Fornet - and that was much scarier...
Later in week - went over to Tignes - and thought - ok - I'll do Silene first - oh my word - the moguls seemed massive - it was horribly steep in the middle and just went on for eeeeever. Decided Sache must be suicidal.... so didnt do it.
Last day - ended up stopping for a rather nice meal in the restaurant half way down Face - and although all the advice I had got said "do it in the morning" - it was 4.15 - I'd had a steak and a bottle of wine - the lift up to the blue was about to shut - and I thought "oh what the heck" - and although it was a bit icy in parts - I took it slowly and was fine.
So is Silene really hard - or am I just pathetic? Is Sache any harder??
Confused........ And when I go to Zermatt in April - what should I try/avoid?????
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Foret can be bad if the conditions are grotty. Gets a bit slushy at the bottom.
After a bottle of wine, your "taking it slowly" probably involved pointing the skis downhill and schussing all the way down! However, your "relaxed" ski posture probably allowed you to absorb the bumps and before you knew it, you were at the bottom!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Jayne - remind me which one is Silene... I never remember the names of the runs there.
Re the Face - the wine probably helped, but the bottom half of Face I think is the easier bit & you would have done the worst of it pre wine time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
The Sache used to have a thoroughly evil, narrow and possibly dangerous section near the gorge at the bottom, but about 7 or 8 yrs ago (?) the route was changed, and the piste became red for a while. Maybe 3 or 4 yrs ago it got upgraded back to a black, although it's only got one very short section which is genuinely black. It's a long, high, great run and I think the resort deliberately overgrades it because any accidents here could take time to get to, and the grades discourages a fair number of dodgy skiers. Overall I reckon it's easier than a mogulled Silene.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
catriona - from the aiguille pierce - there is a black off to the left (sache) and one to the right a bit further down - which is silene - and eventually they both lead to tignes les brevieres (nice restaurant and gondola back up...)
Plake that makes me feel much better coz after doing Silene - I never wanted to have a go at a black again! I think the worst thing was I was soooo hot. Earlier in the week it had been really cold - so there I am - totally overdressed for the occasion - thermal vest - t shirt - jumper and ski jacket...... Just get into the hardest bit and goggles (with optical inserts coz I'm as blind as a bat) completely misted up..... Cant see a thing - so hot think I am going to pass out..... Managed to get to the side of the piste - and sat there listening to all these guys behind me going - bloody hell this bits steep.... which made me feel so much better.
Hubby had of course abandoned me at this point - and was sitting at the bottom looking really bored!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Sounds like hubby should learn - always ski second. That way he has someone to talk to (you) and can also help encourage you down if you think it looks bad. My girlfriend tells me that it's more reassuring knowing I'm on the slope behind her and able to ski down to help if she gets into trouble than having watched me ski down to the bottom...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
you are soooo right masopa - when I did finally make it down I went ballistic at him. Later on when we did Face I did just that - made him go behind me....
Great thing was - I had to wait for him at the bottom then !!!!!(mainly coz I'd had more wine than him I think!)
you must be very nice - your girlfriend is very lucky you are so naturally considerate!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not really that considerate, just prefer to avoid the earbashing Jayne!! Also, the only time I've ever skied off in front (only about 20m) was the one time she fell over and had an accident. It was really deep powder as well - had to trudge back uphill in waist-deep snow (well, until I realised I shouldn't have taken my skis off in the first place!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
What makes the Sache such a challenge is the shear length of it.
I believe it's the second longest black piste in the Alpes (world?).
I don't remember any of it being madly steep but when it gets mogulled you could be looking at every kind of snow condition only bumpy for pretty well the whole length of it. I think the Silenne is probably steeper but soooo much shorter.
Glad U made it Jayne 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and of course the best skiing is to the left of the Sache (as you go down) - the Vallon de la Sache, don't tell me you took the "piste" route U 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
The Sache was very icy and mogully last week but if you stray a yard or two off the piste, it is a lot easier; The Face was a piece of cake in comparison.
Don't forget to mention the gorge, Alan C. Unless you like to freefall 300 ft you gotta traverse back to the Sache!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
yuck - kit again - very glad I gave it a miss then! Is it mogully all the way down? Did the top half last year - and dont remember many....??
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Sache is a wonderful run. It only becomes black towards the end with a mogul field between the trees. It is possible to avoid this and join a blue/red run by traversing right at the crest of the ridge soon after you pass the radio hut but by the time you can actually see the seriously steep bit you are committed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Jayne la sache can get pretty tricky as the moguls get BIG and icy towards the bottom when most people are tired after the long run down from the aiguille percee. It's a pretty impressive run though and a good one to say you've conquered. Well worth it for lunch at Tignes le Breviet too.
Alan you're right le vallon de la sache is the DBs - traverse across back to the piste before getting trapped in the gorge, then head off to the right of the piste to ski down through the trees in nice protected powder - heaven!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
