 Poster: A snowHead
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Cool! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Frosty the Snowman, excellent news, thank you - I've been worrying about him.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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freezywater quote - "IMHO if people can't see or avoid one they shouldn't be on the mountain"
Quite an unfair statement as I've just returned from Zillertal and there were a couple of blind/partially sighted skiers with friends who seemed to enjoy the fact they were able to.
Plus bashers can work with NO klaxon on like one in Mayrhofen last week.
Good they saved his leg
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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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There is a local municiple law in St Anton (Ski Pistes & Crosscountry Act) that forbids you from sking any pistes that are being prepared by Winch Cats.
All Piste are closed from 5pm unitl 8am and there is NO liability.
When there are storms Pistes are prepared 24hrs a day.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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stanton, what do they understand by 'Winch Cats'? Last week in St.A there were definitely Pistenbullys out and about before the crowds were off the mountain, with a whole convoy of them heading up the hill while the hill was absolutely full of skiers! I was thinking at the time that all it would just take an out of control skier and you have the makings of a nasty mess. Good job the bullys are parked above the KK/Moserwirt and not below it!
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Winch cats are Kassbohrers secured to an anchor mast at the top of the piste by wire rope to prevent the possibility of the machine sliding uncontrollably on steep terrain. It allows much steeper terrain to be safely groomed than would otherwise be the case. I assume the ban applies to slopes where they are actively winching?
Anyone skiing at Nevis Range will see such winch masts at the top of Goose Gully and Winger Wall.
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A piste basher should be fairly easy to see or hear. A high tension steel winch rope on the other hand 
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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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I drive a pistenbully piste basher for a living and as a driver I know the importance of taking extreme caution when driving with people around. We won't drive whilst we have public on the slope, but often you get some numpty of a lifty who will just walk behind you whilt you are reversing and bashers do not have breaks, they stop when you take your foot off the accelerator. As far as I am concerned, my sympathies lie with the driver, he was driving from one closed area to another, probably not cutting/grooming as there would be nothing left of the child if he was. The visibility isn't great from a cab, especially of the tracks. The kid probably got too interested, crossed a line and got too close.You can't hear ANYTHING from the cab either, if the kid was stupid enough to get too close, it's not the fault of the driver or the resort, it's the fault of A, the kid from getting too close and straying off the open piste and B, the parents/ski school guide/whoever should have been skiing with the child for not keeping an eye on him andletting him wander off.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bigpantsjayke, welcome to snowHeads. I echo pam w's views. It must be terrifying to have to work where there are people on the slopes, if the basher has no brakes (which I didn't realise).
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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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Should be no need (or desire) to bash during opening hours. If the punters can't cope with a day's worth of ruts they should get some lessons, not worry about colliding with a basher.
And if the pisteurs (or whatever they're called in German) don't want to work at night, tough.
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| andyph wrote: |
| the pisteurs (or whatever they're called in German) |
Trackenflattengeschnellmachenarbeiter
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You know it makes sense.
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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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furdenwimpenmachkeinlumpenmaschinefahrer
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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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andyph, 
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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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'Einer kliener lumpenwhacker' I believe is the agreed german phrase. Pisteurs are different, they are the guys who pick you up and take you down in the blood wagon when you do yourself a mischief. The ones who spend most of the waking day standing outside their huts, scouting for teenage girls and trying to look as cool as humanly possible. Less pisteur, more poseur...
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FAQ
Having the point of view of an experienced piste basher driver can only be a good thing; hope you stick around. I think a lot of us are very interested to hear more about the job - and most of us are very grateful for good grooming! Interesting that you note that you don't drive with public on the slope - that's the case in the ski area I visit, but from the posts above it's obviously routine in some ski areas to be grooming slopes which are open to the public. Your comments about the difficulty of visibility etc. make me thankful that our area doesn't groom pistes during the skiing day. I agree that it must have been a terrible occurrence for the driver. 
Very sad altogether.
