 Poster: A snowHead
|
 Only kidding with the title of the post - though more than a bit alarmed to find ourselves halfway up the top drag lift on the Tignes glacier when a thunderstorm with BIG lightning started (insert terrified Snowhead Emoticon at this point).
First - and hopefully last - run down a mountain in a thunderstorm...... Has anyone else had the "pleasure?"
(Good snow cover by the way - hardly any crevasses visible and a lot more snow than the same time last year.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
mountainaddict, not done it myself thank God, but a friends buisness partner was a mountain guide who was killed by lightning whilst high in the alps, mountain tops are not a good place to be in an electrical storm
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
mountainaddict, Very scary - I've been on our glacier when thunderstorms start. they always try to evacuate before the storm arrives, but if they fail it's very nasty! Glad you got back OK.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Not when skiing, but I have been on a mountain-top which was covered in cloud that was producing lightning. So much static electricity that the ground was buzzing, hair was standing on end, a giant spark from the corner of the landrover door back to the body when I got out, and a couple of lightening strikes one of which was about 50m away on a small ridge just above me. It was so loud and painful that I momentarily thought I was deafened by it. Very scary, but quite an amazing experience. We decided to abandon work for the day, which is probably a good thing as my project involved erecting a 3m metal pole with a sensor on the top. It would have been quite  ing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
My French teacher in Les Saisies told some hair-raising stories about lightning in the mountains, including a friend who was struck whilst climbing a rock face, and was killed, but left hanging up there. And it quite often seems to happen that cows get struck, sheltering under trees. Being up on the slopes in lightning must be terrifying. What's the official advice on the best thing to do? Apart from stay away from isolated trees, obviously. Presumably just get down as fast as you can and don't wave your poles around. Maybe somewhere near, but not too near, lift pylons would be a good place?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I remember being on the nursery slopes in Flaine during a thunderstorm. Pretty spectacular but scary. I think we abandoned the lesson.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've out mountain-biked lightning. Never ridden through a forest so quickly. Was odd, cos I could see a storm in the distance when I set out, but was due to miss it, but a new storm literally brewed up from nowhere. Oakley Black Iridium glasses in a forest in the near dark of a storm is like riding with your eyes closed, or at night with no lights!
Been closer than 100m to strikes to ground on too many occasions. First was Uni bar, tree got hit outside, and all of us leaning on and playing the (classic) pinball table got buzzed. Was on my balcony, watching the lightning strike neighbour's TV antenna mast about 50m away. Then another time I was sprinting across a pedestrian zone to shelter under a shop canopy, and just as I arrived the lightning hit the conductor rod of the shop next door. THAT was scary!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No but i once threw thunder in jail.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| andy wrote: |
| ...Oakley Black Iridium glasses in a forest in the near dark of a storm is like riding with your eyes closed, or at night with no lights!... |
Ummmm. Take them off?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
parlor, never take off your peril sensitive sunglasses 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Better a T-bar than a Poma !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| mountainaddict wrote: |
| First - and hopefully last - run down a mountain in a thunderstorm...... Has anyone else had the "pleasure?" |
I was stuck on the Jandrii Express during a thunderstorm Easter 07. The lift stopped and a second later a huge crack of thunder, making us rather concerned that part of the lift infrastructure had been hit causing the halt. Fortunately it was a very short storm and the lift got moving again within ten mins.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
