 Poster: A snowHead
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Can any pisted run really be for experts only?
I don't think so (an advanced skier should be able to ski any PISTE safely surely?) and this means that no sign post saying "experts only" above a piste can be credible. So it will get ignored.
I remember skiing at Heavenly/Tahoe in 1995 with a friend who I'd just worked a season with in '94. There was one area that had barriers above it with gates. Each gate had a sign above it saying "warning super-experts only, steep ungroomed slopes, trees and unmarked rocks". We laughed our back bottoms off. I'm not sure what a super expert is but it wasn't us (I MIGHT be an expert now but I was no more than advanced then for sure). Those runs were steep unpisted chutes in the trees - we skied them neatly enough.
Probably Tahoe were not stupid, they new that true advanced skiers could handle the terrain but wanted to deter intermediates from trying. THey new that such is the level of grade inflation and lack of self-awareness that you need to put the bar at "super-expert" to deter intermediates. However, I suspect it was the bit about steep ungroomed slopes, trees and unmarked rocks that was the real deterrant - you just not going to get that on a piste...
J
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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However, I suspect it was the bit about steep ungroomed slopes, trees and unmarked rocks that was the real deterrant - you just not going to get that on a piste...
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Try Pontypool Dry Slope!
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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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jedster, actually, the Italins really should write "beginners" only - you won't get anyone skiing down it that way.
I'll disagree about not getting "steep ungroomed slopes, trees and unmarked rocks" - that was effectively all there was on the top couple of pitches - I'm use the term "unpisted" at least as it as mostly very hardpack or icy (I'm Scottish, I know what ice looks like) and there were several unmarked rocks. Plus trees and rocks to either side. So generally not ideal conditions if you couldn't hold an edge...
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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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Interesting debate, I'd say I'm of lower intermediate level. I can ski a red fairly competently and can ski a black slowly but under control but look like a complete novice as soon as I get a whiff of moguls!
It still surprises me how different the grading of pistes can be, I went to Solden in Austria and thought that the blacks were no where near as hard as the blacks in Val D'Isere.
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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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It still surprises me how different the grading of pistes can be, I went to Solden in Austria and thought that the blacks were no where near as hard as the blacks in Val D'Isere.
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I think the Austrians might be the first to re-classify their more difficult blacks into "ski-routes". My friend/host took me over to one of them when I was barely able to manage moguls. I made it down (slowly) alright. My Austrian friend call it "a little more difficult" but nothing to worry about. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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They had that sign above the les Arcs mogul field from the 1800 ridge down to 2000. It was fairly long and tough though, so I reckon the sign served to discourage people from taking it lightly.
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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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| martski wrote: |
richlott, many a word spoken in jest, I think you could categorise already the level of ski proficiency by choice of clothing.
I wouldnt dare to but bet others could:
North Face=
Spyder=
Rodeo=
please do carry on...  |
In my experience this is pretty simple.
Prominently visible logo? Pratt who's most at home posing in the bar, who likes to pretend that he's an expert but doesn't really have a clue. Probably on a trip with the lads. Loves the apres ski more than the slopes. (Or a very faint possibility that he's a professional who receives free kit from his sponsor)
Small logo or unbranded? Respectable middle class chap on a family holiday
Ragged, worn-out, ill-matched, faded and patched kit? Real expert ski-bum who thinks that a day without at least one cliff-jump is boring and tedious. Very likely to be vegetarian and probably surfs in the summer
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Jonny Jones wrote: |
In my experience this is pretty simple.
Prominently visible logo? Pratt who's most at home posing in the bar, who likes to pretend that he's an expert but doesn't really have a clue. Probably on a trip with the lads. Loves the apres ski more than the slopes. (Or a very faint possibility that he's a professional who receives free kit from his sponsor)
Small logo or unbranded? Respectable middle class chap on a family holiday
Ragged, worn-out, ill-matched, faded and patched kit? Real expert ski-bum who thinks that a day without at least one cliff-jump is boring and tedious. Very likely to be vegetarian and probably surfs in the summer |
Strange how people's experience differs. Taking a course I did last month as an example the very opposite was true. The prominent logos were on the ex-pro freerider, the discreet logos were on the young saisonaires and the ill-matched, faded kit on the chap with not too much cash to spare.
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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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| goaty wrote: |
dan100, that bump run is the epaule de charvet and my personal bete noire! i was taken down there as a 1 week skier after my friends found santons closed and said "it'll be alright". well, it wasn't.
5 years later, alot more skiing under my belt and i'm de back in tignes in 2 weeks. still not sure i will attempt it. |
I'mafraid its the sort of rin I can get down and have some fun but with little style. In terms of the old knees its so bloody wrong. your mates were mean
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| NickB wrote: |
| AxsMan wrote: |
Never mind the blacks try taking the 'Green' 'Verte back to La Daille as a week one skier  The last 500m are an icy red which is not much fun when your only answer is a snowplough. |
It's only a red if you fail to pick up the green piste through the trees and take the OK or if you stay on the path all the way through to the Orange instead of turning off early (as signposted) |
| AxsMan wrote: |
| NickB, Yes but of the three trips I have made to Val, the 'path' has only been open once. and the signposting is NOT obvious. And it wasn't just me that was caught out by it (carnage on the slopes) Shocked Laughing |
Ah the much loved controvertial Verte run in VD!!!
Having done it as a week 1 skiier in Feb 2005, it was a very varied run with lots of flats. The initial slope down from the Olympic Gondala? to the beginning of verte got icy/hard packed very quickly and caused a little bit of potential brown salopette.
Then the narrow through the trees "path"  oh yes. this was comical, looking back at it now. So many people on that at once, trying to snow plough it. Ha!  Clambering for grip would be my thoughts!!! It REALLY gets its snow scuffed off quickly and I wouldn't class that part of the run as a green either!
The only way to do that one, I found, was to "go for it" and get onto the main piste again. But then, according to the piste map, on my wall, after the path bit, it either meets up with 'Orange', or 'OK' which are both reds anyway. There's no green run at the bottom.
As a beginner, it took us as a group, over an hour to get down. Admittedly, most of the times we did the run it was white out, now THAT was interesting too. It's amusing to remember being in the Schuss position, thinking I was moving along, in the heavy snow, when it turned out that I was completely still!
But the majority of the piste is actually nice and wide, which, I suppose is why it is listed as a green.
Mind you, in my second week (near the end), I went down the Hara Kiri in Mayrhofen, which as many of you know, is 78% for the first 400m. We went down as a class, doing it nice and slowly, traversing in controlled fashions. A couple fell. One lost their ski, and I collected it as I went down last. Conditions were thin on the snow to say the least! A nice scraping sound was existing underfoot. (Sharp edges required!) Had we not spotted it on the way up, we could've hit a nasty 'proper' ice patch. I think this is what caused the much more competent looking skiier to fall and loose both his skis and slide all the way down the rest of the way, on his back, head first.
Just a couple of thoughts from me. Keep skiing (or boarding if you must)!
Si 
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