Sydney Morning Herald: "It's now possible to heli-ski in most parts of Europe"

A snowHead

No it isn't, thankfully. For the benefit of visiting Australians, that statement is rubbish.

More heli hype from the Sydney Morning Herald

Given the deepening CO2 catastrophe, isn't it time we jacked in this monstrously costly and damaging activity and grounded the choppers?

This paragraph sums up the article:

"Heli-skiing is remote wilderness skiing. One can stand on a mountain in the middle of nowhere and breathe in the history of alpine skiing. This is how it was done long before chairlifts gave people a ride to the top. Of course, pioneers trekked to the mountain peaks without the aid of a helicopter, but you get the drift."

Yeah, I get the drift. Now you can breathe in the pollution and watch the mountain animals run scared, perhaps losing enough energy to die. People should skin up to these fragile and peaceful places. Heli-skiing is total poo-poo, basically.

A snowHead

Here we go again rolling eyes

Well if I had the dosh I'd be doing it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

David Goldsmith, I agree

Although I would like to do it just the once

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Don't worry, fellow snowheads, you are not suffering form déjà vu, this is effectively a bumped thread - and an opportunity to show a continuing mastery of offensive language.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

achilles, In fairness, I would say it is more of a hobby horse than a bumped thread.

I would also like to have a go at heli-skiing.

Cat skiing is supposed to be a cheap alternative but I hear conflicting stories about how good that is.

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achilles, what's offensive about having a point of view?

I've heli-skiied a few times but, frankly, have experienced more thrills from lift-served skiing. It simply isn't all it's cracked up to be. I happen to agree that it is environmentally questionable now and I'm surprised the SCGB still promote it given their "green" image.

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After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Sat 9-06-07 16:27; edited 1 time in total

Heli skiing is so over - its all about sled access now - lets start campaigning to get Europe opened up to snowmobiles as the average day's skiing doesn't burn enough petrol.

I fear MR Goldsmith is pissing in the wind until the US /China/India are big enough to do something positive and relative to this why should Europe and skiers in particular offer themselves as sacrifices?

achilles, I did note David has raised the issue on Epic. Troll-tastic. Some great responses Very Happy

'Go hug a tree will ya as I bulldoze it down!'

We really need some kermits telling us what to do !

'What a bunch of hippy bs' .... I particularly like the American usage of the word 'bunch'.

A couple of diplomatic replies suggested that David may get a more sympathetic response on other forums.

Top class comedy.

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achilles, "sh*te" would have been better. Sounds a bit more pleasant with the e.

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Dale Goldsmith, I couldn't help noticing the ise (mysnowsports site admin) comment at the end of a thread discussing summer race-training for British skiers

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Er? What!

David does your noble stance on greenhouse gases and areas of nature apply to geting in a plane and travelling to Canada to ski or South America or New Zealand?

If you arrived at Canada for a jaunt in BC and someone offered you a trip with these guys http://www.selkirk-tangiers.com/ would you really really really say no?

Also just out of interest how do you get round London this question comes from someone who has lived in London for 4 years and cycles everywhere and I see absolutely no reason to have a personal car.

I understand slightly your point of view but heli skiing isn't a big thing it is very expensive and out of the budget of 95% of the skiing community also have you ever looked at how many heli flights in a day in the alps are down to mountain rescue compared to heli drops?

My point certainly isn't stop mountain rescue but the heli skiing isn't the devil.

achilles, They were genuinely 'diplomatic replies'. One was from Martin Bell. It was not code for 'Clear off!'

Mr. G. is usually polite. He is certainly not abrasive in the manner of one of the departed posters above.

I suppose it depends on your tolerance for the hobby horse in question. The Heliskiing debate is not yet as tiresome as Tamsin, in my opinion.

You know it makes sense.

plectrum, oh dear - David has now selflessly forsaken crossing the pond- and indeed none of us actually know if he has actually skiied at all in the last 12 months. Perhaps he will lend us his carbon allowance for an extra trip or two? wink

The puritanical zeal of the ex-sinner who is born-again is not always attractive.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Another slight point is the biggest hole in the ozone layer is situated over antartica which shows that it is the actions from elsewhere that end up affecting this barren remote place.

A snowHead

Dale Goldsmith, I am worried. Of your 109 posts so far, I find myself agreeing with rather a large percentage.

One question: Sock puppet? No inference, just wondering as your knowledge of Snowhead and other like sites is quite impressive.

A snowHead

stoatsbrother, cool good for david, now just need to check if he drives around and in and out of london, if so it is off to the crusher with that beautiful bmw!

Also because I cycle 300 days a year and the other 65 use some form of public transport does this mean I can offset my heliskiing trip on carbon credits ROFL ....

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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achilles, call Goldsmith a ******* idiot over on the SCGB board and see what happens. Can you imagine the fuss he would make? Emails to the moderators, letters to the Chairman, threats of legal action against the club and the mother of all tantrums would surely be the result!

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Frosty the Snowman,
Has anyone spotted Latchigo and Dale on at the same time? The styles are at times not disimilair.
I would say though that the thread has a slight flavour of revisiting past themes with a little trolling on the side, I will not be drawn into a response. wink

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T Bar, Hmmmmmm food for thought. wink

brian

Frosty the Snowman, Dale has already come out as Latchigo (or the other way round) give me a tick I'll find the thread ....

Edit: can't find it, I think it might have been deleted for his usual bigoted anti-gay nonsense.

Spikyhedgehog, if you're looking for something more testy than a 20 degree slope then you're best off hiring a guide in St Anton or Chamonix or Engleberg or similar and you'll have enough dosh left over to happily wait for the right conditions. And the conditions aren't always right for heli-skiing either don't forget.

Tim Brown, have you got anything to say about heli skiing?

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I have been with a guide in St. Anton, suffice to say that was fantastic as well! I have also done La Grave also, all amazing.

I'm just saying, heliskiing was on a whole new level. This is of course down the the fact that the conditions were near perfect, but having the helicopter just made it that little bit sweeter.

I'll agree with you though, pound for pound, 'normal' skiing will probably provide a more enjoyment over the long term.

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Bode Swiller, yes, I ******* love it! Can't wait to go again next year. On the other hand, why wait until next year when I can fly down south and do it sooner?

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Tim Brown, I see, you must therefore be the Club's spokesman on Environmental issues. Why not heli ski the Antarctic while you're down there... I believe that was suggested as being a future club trip in Ski&Board a couple of seasons ago. Will one be stuffing one's fisog in First while looking down at the Maldives disappearing?

Swiller, I think I'll go Club Class, actually.

You know it makes sense.

plectrum, in answer to your question I travel around london by oyster and shell out regularly to top up this pearl of a smartcard (the interesting thing is that skiing pioneered exactly the same transponder as a liftpass). Most travel (e.g. today East Finchley-Victoria return) is by bike: an excellent (British made) Claud Butler. I used to use a skateboard for short distances (e.g. pillar box), but it was stolen. I haven't owned a car since August 2004 but sometimes rent a halo.

achilles, sorry to have offended you. I do find heli-skiing the biggest conceivable insult to the planet's interests, given that skiers apparently value the environment they ski in and maybe wish to preserve snow for future generations. Or maybe they don't give a poo-poo.

Tim Brown, I was wondering if we're going to have the pleasure of meeting up. Do you visit London at all? You don't have to drop in by helicopter ... it would just be refreshing for you to establish your bona fides and prove that you're willing to put your face where your mouth is.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Just as a P.S. to the above:

A snowHead

I was just wondering if the annual CO2 output of heli-skiing operations in Europe is measured or estimated at all? If so how does it compare with the 6bn tons the US generates annually or the similar amount (and rising dramatically) that China generates? If

A snowHead

That's an important point. Heli-skiing encourages long-haul travel, and sometimes very long-haul travel when Asia or Australasia are destinations for northern hemisphere skiers.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

So what, you're saying holidays that require a long haul flight shouldn't be taken by anyone?

I somehow don't think that is a viable solution..

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David Goldsmith, I'll wager that anyone in the UK who does at least one trip per year outside of the UK for the purpose of lift-based skiing is responsible for more than the world-average of CO2 emission. The rest is just a matter of degree.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

That's probably true. The problem is that heli-skiing is held up as the pinnacle of the skiing experience, so it has a trickle-down effect in terms of skier aspirations. In fact it's a grossly decadent pollution fest. One problem is that helicopters pump out invisible exhaust gases.

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... just like cars - only there's a lot less of them. If exhaust gases were visible, I'd be very worried about global cooling.

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After all it is free

If you want to go heli skiing proper join the army air corps, the only place high enough for them to practice mountain flying is in Canada during the ski season Very Happy

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I take it that ise man accepting DGs last contribution on mysky sports has driven DG back here. Confused

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Sydney Morning Herald: "It's now possible to heli-ski in most parts of Europe"

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