Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Buttock height compatibility is certainly a pre-requisite.
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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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There's certainly an easily-underestimated amount of skill required to have a comfortable ride on a t-bar. At least they don't freeze the passenger to the same extent as an open chairlift.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Try standing on the back of your partners ski just as you grab the T-bar. I did that once in Saalbach, and after she'd picked herself up, I got a very icy stare
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Can't stand them...always ride alone, as whenever I've tried to duet I end up falling off!! The balance thing is easily sorted by pushing down on the empty bar.
Ever been dragged up a T-bar with the point stuck in your inner thigh? I have...I don't recommend it! Fantastic bruise though!
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Saas Fee has the mother of all t-bars on the glacier. 11 pylons about 10 minutes transit time. The pain in your thighs is considerable by the time you get to the end - creative swearing can be used to get you through the final 200 yards...
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That's how snowboarders go up all the time
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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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Should the title of this thread not read "Any GOOD experiences on T-Bars?" !!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As I have already said in another thread - being on a T-bar in high winds when the cable comes off the runner is a very strange feeling. Dared not turn round just in case I caught an edge but was expecting to reverse over another skier and bust my knees at any moment.
Good T-bar experiences ...... once saw a young Austrian ski racer mount a T-bar by skiing uphill just ahead of the T-bar then dropping back gently to perch on the empty place next to his friend.
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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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I publicly apologise to Mr H for teaching him a few new choice words whilst we went up the Mother of All T-Bars in Saas Fee.
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Sharon Hopkinson, good to see Ian's let you have access to the computer
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You know it makes sense.
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I had to bite his ankle though!
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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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Have to say, never been on a T-bar &, judging by this thread, never want to be. I'd rather walk!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Peter B wrote: |
Try standing on the back of your partners ski just as you grab the T-bar. I did that once in Saalbach, and after she'd picked herself up, I got a very icy stare |
............ and a few choice words if I remember correctly PB - Not watching what you are up to is the real reason this happened - I have witnesses even though they were 14 &11 years old - they'll back me up or Ali will!!!! It was a Paddington stare actually!! --- and you tripped me up at the top of the chuffing thing by standing on my ski's too even though you'd never admit it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Heres a little story I told before in a previous life, but think deserves another airing.
Its my first weeks skiiing. About middle of the week, and we're just getting able to get about a bit. The class by now down from about 17 to 8. Fairly gentle drag up, but its snowing quite heavily, so theres all sorts of loose sticky stuff about, which really doesnt help learner skiers. Me and Debbie possibly about the bestest of the group. We go first up on the Tee bar together. Several stops on hte way up, people falling off all over the place. Get to the top, I go off to the left, and presumably push the tee bar to the right. Debs fails to get off (probly should have left first) The right side sticky out bit of the tee somehow hooks behind her left knee and down she goes. But the tee bar is still there, and it drags her forwards. It now catches in the back between the ski and her ankle. drag, drag, drag and up up up. Her legs and back bottom are now off the ground. still it goes on, shes totally off the ground hanging from an ankle.
Whack, as her back and head smack into the wooden fence designed to stop the tee bars swinging round and round and getting tangled in the winding gear. Up and over she goes, and by now shes dangling under the big winding wheel, about to do a 180 degree turn and start going back down the hill. Just as she comes out the far side of the wheel, the ski hits a bit of the frame, and the binding releases. Plop. Down goes Debbie onto her head, and crumples to a heap in the snow. At last, they stop the drag. Me and another in our class (a nice nursey from London, whose name has gone for the moment) go to pick her up. Shes all trembly and shaking and crying. We try to comfort her, expecting Teach to be up soon to check her out and know what to do, etc. But no Teach. wait around getting cold for about 20 mins. Debs is getting over it, but still in a bit of a state. Teach turns up eventually. Shes been sorting out a disaster further down the drag. An other girlie in group (dim giggly blond thing, with a tight white slightly see through all in one skisuit, probly from Essex) has fell from the drag and broken her ankle. or leg. So teech was sorting that out.
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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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A quick saftey tip for future!!! ski straight pass these deadly man/womantraps at all costs accepting last resort only! desighed by local's for their amusment,please note webcam direct to all bars in resort!!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Again, a story I've told elsewhere....
At Birg (bottom of Schilthorn run, Murren) there is an especially evil T-bar, as it is nbear vertical and is the only way back up from several blue runs, without skiing a black down into the village. It's not in anyway suitable for beginners. Still you always get them....usually British
The other problem is that parts of the run are not visible from the lift station.
The first pair has nearly reached the top when they came off, sliding vertically, back down the track. They wiped out the next 4 pairs, before the lift attendant stopped the T-bar. Still they slid down, taking out another couple. I jumped out of the way, while my buddie held onto the T. I just avoided being taken out, and managed to get back onto the lift, before waiting 20 mins for it to restart
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It's atrade off, whenever buttocks height is not compatible. I usually take one of those with either one of my sons..so the bar is right behind my knees, or mid tight.
I endure and manage.
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I've never had a bad experience with a T-bag. In fact, I've even shared them from time to time with no discomfort.
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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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Never experienced one and not exactly looking forward to it, from all experiences above. Thanks
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I used them for the first time at Aviemore and just about managed but most of the ones I used were not very steep.
I can never understand why they dont use poma's which are much easier.
These days I always check on the lift situation before booking to a resort as I really dont fancy getting stuck in one where you have to use them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Pomas are easier, but only have half the uplift capacity of a T-bar.
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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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For anyone interested, the invention of the T bar is attributed to Ernest Constam, a Zurich engineer who originally designed something called a 'J bar'. It all happened in Davos in 1934 (the J bar), converted to a T bar two years later.
I visited an Austrian resort some years back where every single lift was a T bar. It was somewhere near Salzburg, and for some reason its name has completed vanished from my mind. Not sure if it was part of the tourist industry or the torture industry.
Question: is anyone anywhere still building them? I think Elizabeth's right, that the capacity is greater than a Poma, but not double because a Poma runs at higher speed.
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Our instructor at Saas Fee seemed to think the t-bar was an entirely reasonable way of moving around the mountain; chair lifts, on the other hand, he thought were the work of the devil...
Saas Fee run a poma and a t-bar in parallel to the base station of the Felskinn cable car and a either 2 pomas and a t-bar or a poma and 2 t-bars up the nursery slope. No problems with queuing over New Year - except when the t-bars stopped for people falling off!
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You know it makes sense.
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Whistler a couple of years back.
If you've been, you'll know the T-bars on Blackcomb glacier. The one which goes up to the hut (and let's you ski over to 7th Heaven) has a steep (and frequently icy) top section.
One of the guys I was skiing with was known as "Big Andy", he isn't the thinnest person you'll ever meet. He was sharing the T with another gentleman of similar proportion. As they were going up the steep pitch near the top, the bar broke.
Thankfully Andy has skiied in Scotland before, and knows how to ski icy pitches, and managed to get under control quickly. The other guy took out 3 or 4 Ts lower down the slope before stopping.
Neither was seriously hurt.
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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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Here's how to get on a T bar if you're unfortunate enough to be trying to get on one while sliding around on an ironing board.
The photo is helpfully provided by the Chinese Taipei Ski Association if you need any further guidance and can read Chinese text.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hint for boarders (yes there are some here) if you ride regular - 'dress to the right' and visa-versa. I have an acquaintance who ruptured a teste (and had to have it removed) and the blood drained from his scrote. I’ll try to get him to post the pics. Given the choice, I’d rather walk than be dragged! Then there’s adductor cramp!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Masque, I presume you mean male boarders?
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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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Don't try too hard to get him to post thoses pics. Please.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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RichardB wrote: |
Thank god I'm going to Fernie next year, nearly all chairlifts! |
Actually, there is one T-bar, but it's about the most forgiving one I've been on. The chairlifts are a bit slow and cold though, wrap up well. (The place badly needs some high speed or at least covered lifts).
J2R
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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As a boarder I find it difficult to see how skiers can complain about T bars.
At least skiers get the bar behind both thighs/buttocks - well ok, usually.
However, one good thing about the burning pain and total awareness of the bruise that's developing is that it takes your mind off the biting blizzard and the pedestrian speed.
Yeah, I've done that T bar at the top of Zermatt too...
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Stephen Sadler, you're right, Aviemore is very keen on T-bars. I'd guess it has something to do with what Mr Orf says - they can keep going in higher winds. However, they're all fairly flat - especially those on the beginner areas above top station. In fact, perhaps everyone should go to Aviemore as a beginner, since they're a pretty good introduction to "easy" T-bars. You also learn how to ski backwards uphill, but that's another story!
Do recall some carnage on the T-bar running up past Gunbarrel this year though. More carnage on the T-bar itself than the actual gunbarrel!
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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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Masopa
Yes their are plenty of "easy" ones but their are some snotters as well, given the amount of time T bars are stopped because they are so difficult then pomas must rule.
Having said that I did my knee ligaments on a poma in Selva a couple of years ago when I got it stuck on my salopettes when dismounting.
Because of the slow speed my bindings didnt kick in until after I actualy heard my knee pop - not nice.
I still hate T-bars though.
Off to Breckenridge on Weds and don't expect to see many if any of them.
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Bad experiences? Not exactly 'bad', but I was standing next to a snooty-looking fur-clad woman in a huge queue for the T-bar on the Les Alpes glacier one summer. When it was our turn I moved into position but she shouted at me to go back, saying that she would not take the lift with anyone else. I just had time to dive out of the way as the T-bar arrived. The liftie and I were amazed. Bl**dy Parisiennes!
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