Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Who skis off piste without the 'holy trinity' of safety equipment

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
and by off piste I mean in-between pistes, area under the lifts, by the side of pistes, accessed by and from the piste or lifts etc., and not necessarily gnarly back country back of mountain stuff or glaciers etc. ????

the question popped in to my mind for a few reasons, but mainly 1, I noticed an instuctor taking low intermediate boarders in to powder on the side of the piste last week, and 2, I will be at the EOSB and it is interesting to see if I will be shunned and stoned (bricks that is wink ) by the masses if I drop of the edge of a piste


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 9-04-08 13:25; edited 1 time in total
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
me, although your post hasn't really touched on the factors i take into account when deciding if it is a good idea to do so or not
snow conditions
 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?
Me.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Arno, for the record so do I, but please eloborate if you consider the decision making process you follow warrants clarification
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
..and me.
latest report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
rayscoops, me, but if I do go beyond a pisted or patrolled area then it's full-on safety gear.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
David@traxvax, i never go beyond a pisted or patrolled area because i do not own the safety clobber
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
rayscoops, I always carry the gear with me..unless I know I'm not going to be tempted.
ski holidays
 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.
Arno, Yeah I am wiht you on it do nip on and off piste but will have alot of factors considered when doing it.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
inbounds off-piste, yes.
ski holidays
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Wear The Fox Hat, That is a good thing about skiing stateside isnt it! No confusion about whats off in on near open closed etc!
snow report
 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.
All the time, but only in patrolled off-piste areas (as commonly found in North America). But I wouldn't venture into the proper backcountry without safety gear and a local guide.
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Me.
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Me, everyday, about 95% of my skiing time, with my clients.

Within the ski boundary area.
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Did this quite a bit the last two weeks (Switzerland and France). But only in areas clearly visible from piste/lifts and where already being extensively being skied by others including local school groups being led by local instructors.
snow report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
As I have the stuff and nearly always ski off-piste, I now pretty much always carry it with me - there's no significant downside to doing so. But I wouldn't hesitate to ski the in-between and side-of-piste stuff without it, if I was happy with the avvy conditions on that particular slope. Before I had the stuff, I did it all the time, but only skied pretty mild terrain at that time. In recent times probably the only time I've actually done this was a week in December which was intended to be a race training week, so I didn't have any of the stuff with me (had enough race clobber instead rolling eyes ), but due to the huge amounts of new snow spent quite a lot of the time skiing between/side-piste - avvy risk generally 3 (but 4 on the last day), so briefly assessed each slope as we encountered it.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 9-04-08 14:36; edited 1 time in total
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Me all the time in Scotland, and I'm usually on my own.
ski holidays
 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?
Me also, although I own them, although when I know I am going to spend most of my time off piste I do go kitted out.I am now looking to buy two more beacons for my children as they are now skiing and boarding off piste alot more. Then from next season the rule is always wear the beacon.
snow conditions
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
I've not been off-piste before but I've signed up for the off-piste intro at the EOSB (got to see what all the fuss is about you see snowHead)

With the amount of threads on here about the risks I did start to think about these type of things but thought i'd worry more about it at the bash.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
It might not stop me if I didn't have it but I pretty much always carry it: it's not much more to stick in a bag and I'd feel pretty poo-poo if I saw someone get caught and had left my kit at home.
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
rayscoops, by your definition, I do
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
rayscoops wrote:
Arno, for the record so do I, but please eloborate if you consider the decision making process you follow warrants clarification


it isn't very different from the process when i do have kit.

and if i am inbounds in North America, i wouldn't generally bother


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 9-04-08 15:18; edited 1 time in total
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Me too, but only a bit, (can't do more than a bit before I fall over) Embarassed
snow report
 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.
I do all my off piste with a lighter, weed and ciggies. I'm always on my own so even if I had a beeper on who the hell is going to come look for me? This applies to summer glacier stuff also. Responsible? You bet Laughing
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
stab, suggest a spare lighter if I may wink
snow report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
NEVER!!

I spit on those of you who don't.

Splitters.
snow conditions
 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.
I used to, but now I tend to carry my avvy gear with me all the time.
snow report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Guilty as charged.
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Somedays I do - but only on slopes I know very well (ie skiing them for 15 years) and next to the piste etc and when I am suddenly taken by the desire to do so on an otherwise relaxed piste day. Most of the time, and certainly for anything at all risky i go with the full works from ABS bag to silver blanket.
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I go "between piste" on low gradient or tree runs only.

Most places I go have never known to slide.. but spose there is always a first.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I go "between piste", off-piste, and on one or two occasions out of bounds without any avy equipment. Obviously I take various things into considerations and will eventually buy avy equipment as I go further into the back-country.
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Me too, also after assessing local factors, but mainly because none of the folk I ski with are interested in acquiring the kit or doing much "serious" off piste. The days I go with a guide I get the kit.. (which never appears in the sales either dammit)
ski holidays
 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?
Me too, never out of sight of a piste though. Twisted Evil

joe
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
By far the most important piece of safety equipment if you go off piste is knowledge. The trinity just decreases your chance of dying if you get in an avalanche - the point is to avoid one.
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Martin Nicholas, here

I ski inbounds stuff in the US/Canada without the kit unless there is a potential for going back-country that day, or the conditions/warnings/terrain suggest risk is higher. In Europe I always wear the kit unless I am going to be on piste all day.
latest report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
snowball wrote:
By far the most important piece of safety equipment if you go off piste is knowledge. The trinity just decreases your chance of dying if you get in an avalanche - the point is to avoid one.


Very fair comment. But trinity also increase your chances of finding and getting out a buried victim in time.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Just taken delivery of 2 out of 3, and will carry them more regularly. To date haven't worried about it if I'm somewhere accessible, but time to rethink that.

Martin Nicholas, stoatsbrother is great at finding good prices - he suggested www.backcountry.com to me, and I bought a 270cm probe and a transceiver for $260. No shipping charges cos had them delivered to a friend in California who was due to meet my husband in NY last week, so hubby brought them home - shipping would have been an extra $60, I think. Also worth a look at www.telemark-pyrenees.com
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
achilles wrote:
But trinity also increase your chances of finding and getting out a buried victim in time.

Yes, very true.
latest report
 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.
rayscoops, fair cop but ensure I know the general avy risk posted and am aware of potential traps, slope aspect, temp/weather etc.
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
holy trinity?? fags, lighter, sandwiches???
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy